Have you heard of this Japanese proverb about miso, “Miso soup is a medicine for perpetual youth and longevity”?
Today, I would like to introduce to you guys a Japanese proverb relating to miso that reflects its amazing health and beauty benefits and how it is good for your health and skin!
Miso is a fermented soybean paste where fermented foods are becoming more and more popular because many people are experiencing gut issues these days. But in Japan, we eat many fermented foods from ancient times.
One of the more popular fermented foods in Japan is MISO that has been eaten for about 1800 years in Japan! Most people in Japan have miso soup every day making it the national soup of Japan!
Miso contains good bacteria as well as is very nourishing. It contains about 400 health components thanks to the fermentation process.
“Miso soup is a medicine for perpetual youth and longevity.”
This proverb means that if you drink miso soup, you will be healthy and live a long life. This is because miso brings both beauty and health benefits, which I will introduce below.
Healthier and younger-looking skin for perpetual youth!
Finer skin complexion and keeping the skin hydrated
According to the joint research of Dr Maeda KenHisashi, professor of the “Marukome Co.” from Tokyo University of Technology, Miso seems to have a component that increases ceramide which can result in a finer complexion from daily consumption of miso soup. Ceramide is important for keeping the skin hydrated.
Increasing the elasticity of the skin
Miso contains 18 types of amino acids including lysine and proline, which are important for collagen production. Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in the skin, making up 75-80% of the organ, says New York City-based dermatologist Debra Jaliman, MD. Along with elastic tissues, collagen is also found in the dermis or middle layer of skin that gives it its fullness and plumpness.
Slowing down the signs of ageing
Miso contains antioxidants such as vitamin E, iso-flavones or saponins. Vitamin E and melanoidins is the dark pigment responsible for the colour of long-aged miso. Antioxidants neutralize damaging free radicals in the body so they are very important in fighting the signs of aging, as well as boosting overall health.
Improve skin conditions such as acne
Miso is a powerful probiotic food, thanks to its double fermentation process. It can also withstand heat, which means you will not lose its live probiotic effect while cooking (heat-killed probiotics are also beneficial for a healthy gut). Miso helps to restore the beneficial bacteria in your intestines for healthy stomach microflora, aiding digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
Health benefits of miso for longevity
Lowers cholesterol
Miso contains saponin, which acts as a “soap” to wash out built up fat in your blood vessels, and the lecithin and linoleic acid found in miso work together to dissolve this cholesterol so blood can flow properly. Miso contains soy peptides, choline and melanoidin which lowers cholesterol and protects against atherosclerosis and other related blood clotting diseases.
Blood pressure
Miso contains potassium and magnesium, as well as peptides which help prevent high blood pressure. Miso is a probiotic food, also known as beneficial bacteria, may improve blood pressure control.
Cancer prevention
The choline content in soybeans is said to protect against carcinogens. All soy, including miso, may reduce the risk of various forms of cancer, such as reproductive cancers, lung cancer, and stomach cancer. The isoflavones in soy are said to be particularly powerful in the prevention of breast cancer in women through regulating hormones.
Healthy gut & immune boost
Miso is a powerful probiotic food that helps to restore the beneficial bacteria in your intestines for healthy stomach microflora. Miso also contains oligosaccharide, which is a prebiotic — the food for good bacteria. When probiotics and prebiotics work together in a synergistic way, it is much more efficient in promoting the benefit of the probiotics. This makes miso the perfect food for a healthy gut! A healthy gut plays an important role in a strong immune system. Miso contains vitamins (B1 and B5), zinc and the amino acid arginine, all of which are beneficial for boosting immunity!
Healthy bones
Miso contains more calcium than boiled soybeans. It contains lysine which has been shown to increase the absorption of calcium and may reduce the amount that is excreted. Miso contains magnesium, a vital nutrient for building and maintaining strong, healthy bones and can reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants neutralize damaging free radicals in the body so they are very important in fighting disease and the signs of aging, as well as boosting overall health. Miso contains antioxidants such as vitamin E, isoflavones, saponins. Vitamin E and melanoidins are the dark pigments responsible for the colour of long-aged miso.
Heavy metal & radiation remover
Miso is claimed to offer protection against radiation exposure. It contains amino acids that bind s heavy metals together and flushes them out the body. This is important in today’s society as welcome in contact with radiation on a daily basis from our environment, the electronics we use, and even the food we eat!
Making your own miso is the best! I make miso every winter because it is the best time to make fail-free and yummy miso (if you make it in the summer, it gets mouldy easily as well as has less flavour and nutrients).
Hope you can join my miso class in winter, or my online cooking class (in the future) if you live far from Sydney!
If you’re interested in Japanese superfoods and want to learn more about miso, you may want to get my Japanese Superfoods cookbook‘. Latest edition is available NOW!
DO YOU NEED HEALTHY VEGAN COOKING INSPIRATIONS?
Do you know I run a cooking school in Sydney?
Please come and join my healthy Japanese superfoods cooking class in Sydney. We offer vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free cooking classes that are filled with tasty and easy recipes. You will learn not only cooking skills and tips but also how to use Japanese ancient wisdom on a daily basis for your health, energy, and beauty! Don’t be afraid to make it a group event, corporate team building cooking classes, hens party cooking classes and other group classes are available, the more the merrier! Join my cooking class from HERE or leave me an inquiry HERE.
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ALSO twice per year I run virtual Japanese. 30 Day Challenge Course!! The course focuses on weight loss and improving your health! Drop your email address HERE and we’ll notify you about the next challenge!
Plant Based Cookbooks
If you want to cook more easy and tasty Japanese vegan meals using Japanese superfoods – the real key for Japanese health- you can grab my vegan cookbook “Japanese Superfoods” or “Top 3 Japanese Superfoods for Natural Weightloss” or even better, you can get the “Japanese Superfoods combo deal” to master all Japanese Superfoods.
Happy Japanese superfood cooking xx
