10 Health Benefits of Miso Soup
Whenever you have a Japanese meal, there is a good chance that you will be served a cloudy soup. This is known as miso soup and it is usually served as a starter or as a side dish. The soup often contains other solid ingredients such as tofu, seaweed, and vegetables.
One of the main ingredients of miso soup is miso. This is a type of paste that has been made from fermented soybeans. Soybeans are known for their nutritional content, and much of this can also be found in miso soup.
Eating miso soup can provide us with numerous health benefits. This article looks at 10 of those benefits.
Miso Soup Benefit #1: Healthy Digestive System
Our digestive system has a considerable impact on the well-being of our immune system. As such, it makes good sense to look after it in order to help keep us well protected from disease. This largely means eating the right type of foods and you can include miso soup on this list.
Miso soup is a probiotic. This means that it is a source of “good” bacteria that are beneficial to our digestive systems. Not only do these help us to break down our food, but they also help to provide a healthy balance between “good” and “bad” bacteria. For the best results, choose unpasteurized miso when you can.
Miso Soup Benefit #2: Energy Providing
As cold-blooded animals, we get our energy from the food that we eat. Once we have ingested our food, chemical reactions in the digestive system will then start converting it into energy, and also into our body’s building blocks. Certain types of food are better at giving us energy than others.
Miso soup is a good source of copper, manganese, phosphorous, and vitamin B. All of these compounds help our body to turn our food into energy, while they also benefit us in other ways. If you are feeling tired and in need of a perk, a bowl of miso soup might be just the thing that you need.
Miso Soup Benefit #3: Healthy Brain
A healthy brain is important for our overall well-being. Maintaining full cognitive abilities helps us to be happy as well as being able to be independent. Unfortunately, though, many peoples’ cognitive abilities will begin to decline as they get older. The best we can do is to try and look after our brain to help prevent it from happening.
Our brain needs nutrition just as the rest of our body does. Miso soup is a good source of copper, vitamin B, and zinc. It is also a good source of choline, and this is a nutrient that helps our body to make acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter. Choline is also important for keeping our nerve cells healthy.
Miso Soup Benefit #4: Antioxidants
We tend to hear quite a lot about antioxidants when it comes to healthy diets, but it is not always made clear what they are. In short, they are compounds that help to protect our bodies against oxidation, a process that causes damage to our cells. Antioxidants help to protect us against this process.
Oxidation can cause diseases, including cancer. It is also one of the leading causes of the effects of aging. Miso soup is a good source of antioxidants, so getting plenty of it in your diet can help to keep you well. It can also help to slow the effects of aging, keeping you looking younger for longer.
Miso Soup Benefit #5: Protein
Many people around the world have made the decision to stop eating meat. Others have taken a step further and stopped using or eating any animal products. We have evolved as meat-eaters, though, which means that animal protein is very important for us. Miso soup can help to make up the deficit, though.
The tofu in miso soup is a very good source of good quality proteins. They may not be of the same quality as animal proteins, but still, they help to make up the difference. If you are planning on becoming a vegetarian or vegan, it is important to make sure that your nutritional needs are still met.
Miso Soup Benefit #6: Healthy Skeleton
Our larger bones contain bone marrow, a substance that is very important for us. It is here that our red blood cells are made, enabling our blood to transport oxygen. Bone marrow is also where the white blood cells are made, and these are essential for keeping us healthy and well.
Pretty much everybody knows about the importance of calcium where the health of our skeleton is concerned, but calcium is not the only nutrient our bones need. Our bones also need phosphorous and manganese, both of which can be found in miso soup. Miso soup also contains vitamin K2, which helps our bones to store calcium.
Miso Soup Benefit #7: Healthy Heart
The walls of our blood cells are quite soft and flexible. They need to be as they are containing blood that is being pumped through the heart at varying pressures. As we get older, though, these blood vessels can harden and this can cause problems for us. Eating plenty of miso soup can help prevent these problems occurring, however.
As already mentioned, miso soup is a good source of vitamin K2. Whereas it helps our bones to store calcium, it does the opposite for the walls of our blood vessels. This helps to keep our blood vessels healthy for many years to come, and this will help keep our cardiovascular system in good condition.
Miso Soup Benefit #8: Healthy Skin
Healthy skin doesn’t only help to make us look good, but it is also very important for our overall health. Our skin is our first line of defense against pathogens, providing an effective barrier that helps keep them out. It also helps us to regulate our body temperature and to manufacture certain vitamins.
As such, it is a good idea to look after our skin, and this does not necessarily mean expensive cosmetic products. It can, however, mean eating the right kind of food. Miso soup is a good source of antioxidants, and this helps prevent damage to the skin at the cellular level. The soup also contains vitamin F, and this can also help to keep our skin in good condition.
Miso Soup Benefit #9: Immunity Boost
When we think of the immune system, we tend to think of fevers, white blood cells, and the chemicals that they use to keep us safe. What a lot of people don’t know, however, is that the digestive system is perhaps the largest contributor to keeping us safe from pathogens. With this in mind, we should do what we can to keep our digestive system healthy.
Our digestive system is home to bacteria that are friendly to us and even help in the detection and destruction of pathogens. Miso soup is a probiotic, meaning it is a good source of these friendly bacteria. Miso soup is also a good source of copper and zinc, both of which also help to boost our immune system.
Miso Soup Benefit #10: Hormone Balance
Our bodies contain numerous different hormones. These are chemicals that help with the day-to-day running of our bodies. They help organs to function, they help us to digest our food, and they even affect how we are feeling. It is important to keep these hormones in the right balance to make sure everything runs smoothly and we are in good mental health.
Miso soup contains phytoestrogens and these can help to address imbalances in hormones in women. It can be particularly useful during the menopause and can help to at least decrease the severity of the symptoms, making the patient feel more comfortable.
