Is this why the Japanese live longer?

Middle-aged adults who regularly eat miso paste added to sushi and soups are 10% less likely to die young, study finds

Vanessa Chalmers

4 hrs ago 30 Jan 2020

Middle-aged adults who regularly eat miso paste added to sushi and soup may add years to life, according to Japanese researchers.

Almost 100,000 people in Japan were quizzed about their diet and then tracked for 15 years. 

Those who ate trendy fermented soy products - such as miso and natto - were 10 per cent less likely to die an early death.  

The researchers say this is likely to be because these products are high in beneficial compounds which help keep cholesterol stable, for example.  

Soy products in general, such as vegan favourite tofu, did not have an effect on mortality. 

Miso, which means 'fermented beans', is a paste added to sushi, soups and salad dressings. Natto is a dish consisting of fermented soybeans which are sticky and stringy.

Recently, soy has been increasing in popularity particularly among vegetarians in Western societies who are searching for protein sources. 

© Getty Miso paste.But Asian populations have typically eaten soy since ancient times. 

People in Japan - who typically live up to 84 years in comparison to the UK's 81 years - often begin their day with a hot bowl of miso soup to kick start their digestion.

The team led by National Cancer Centre, Japan investigated links between several types of soy products and death from any cause and from cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and injury. 

Data on 42,750 men and 50,165 women aged 45-74 years was collected from a study based in 11 of Japan's public health centre areas.

What else do the Japanese eat to boost life expectancy?

It’s widely known that the Japanese live long and healthy lives and experts believe it's down to their immaculate diet.

1. Fish 

© Getty Fish.

Fish are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, responsible for maintaining a healthy heart. But not only do they keep the blood flowing, but they also benefit the brain, eyes and reduce inflammation. Fish are rich in selenium, which is vital for our antioxidant defences and immune system, and B vitamins that help to keep our brain chemistry in balance.

2. Seaweed

© Getty Seaweed.

Seaweed is rich in minerals, including iodine, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium and dozens of other trace minerals we need for our immune system, antioxidant defences and heart health.

3. Matcha tea

© Getty Matcha tea.

Matcha is a traditional powdered green tea made from the fresh leaf tips of the tea plant. Green tea – matcha in particular – is high in a specific type of flavanols called catechins. These substances are thought to boost our body’s antioxidant defences. 

 4. Pickled vegetables

© Getty Pickled vegetables.

Traditionally fermented pickled vegetables are a great source of natural probiotics. They can favour digestive health, help to digest and absorb the nutrients in the food we eat, which then benefits all areas of our health.

Participants filled in detailed questionnaires about their dietary habits, lifestyle, and health status, according to the findings published their findings in the British Medical Journal today.

Deaths were identified from residential registries and death certificates over a follow-up period of nearly 15 years.

The researchers found that a higher intake of fermented soy was linked to a significantly lower risk of all cause mortality at 10 per cent.

Total soy intake, including products like tofu, soy milk, okara, did not affect mortality.

5. Natto

© Getty Natto.

People who ate natto also had a lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease, than those who did not eat natto.

Natto is a traditional Japanese food made by fermenting soybeans with a fungus called bacillus subtilis natto.

No links were found between soy intake and cancer-related deaths.  

Results persisted even after further adjusting for the intake of vegetables, which was higher among those consuming larger portions of natto.

The authors point out that fermented soy products are richer in fibre, potassium and bioactive components such as isoflavone than their non-fermented counterparts.

Soy fibre has been shown to reduce cholesterol and keep weight stable, while isoflavone compounds may reduce blood pressure. 

However further research could investigate the exact mechanisms on the body.

In a linked editorial, experts said evidence such as this is increasingly suggesting that fermented soy products have health benefits. 

© Getty Natto snack.Kayo Kurotani and Hidemi Takimoto, of National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, wrote: 'Increasing evidence has suggested that fermented soy products are associated with health benefits. 

'Whether people eat those products depends on their food culture, but some countries already include soy and fermented soy products in their dietary guidelines.'

This is an observational study, so can't establish cause, and the researchers cannot rule out the possibility that some of the observed risk may be due to other unmeasured factors

For example, miso soup contained a high amount of salt in 1995 and 1998, when the surveys were conducted, before salt reduction measures came into place.

It could be that fermented miso is protecting those in the study from the health risks of salt.

https://www.msn.com/en-my/health/nutrition/is-this-why-the-japanese-live-longer-middle-aged-adults-who-regularly-eat-miso-paste-added-to-sushi-and-soups-are-10percent-less-likely-to-die-young-study-finds/ar-BBZsVRI?ocid=ientp

Artificial Food Coloring Chemicals in Pickles - BEWARE!

  Beware of artificial food coloring chemicals in pickles - it's what makes them appear more yellow
Monday, December 05, 2011 by: Selena Keegan

(NaturalNews)Pickles make great snacks, satisfying food cravings without throwing off your daily intake of calories, fats, sugars or carbohydrates. Like most fermented foods, natural pickles provide probiotic benefits. Unfortunately, most commercially sold pickle brands contain high fructose corn syrup and/or food dye.

Garnish your sandwich with cancer?

Food manufacturers dye pickles as a marketing ploy to enhance the shelf-appeal of their product, hoping consumers will choose the brightest pickles from the supermarket shelves. A few manufacturers using turmeric to create the yellowy tinge which makes green pickles appear brighter. However, as an April 2011 article in the New York Times noted, natural food dyes are "not as bright, cheap or stable as artificial colorings, which can remain vibrant for years."

Approximately 60%-70% of all dyes used in food and textile manufacturing are what are called azo dyes, processed from industrial waste. The ingredient responsible for the yellow color in many commercial pickles is the azo dye tartrazine, made from coal-tar derivatives. Many azo dyes are known to be mutagenic, meaning they cause mutations (changes in cell DNA). The National Cancer Institute has stated that mutagenic substances are carcinogens.

What the government is doing

For most of its 74-year history, the FDA has viewed most food dyes as harmless. In March of 2011, the agency asked a panel of experts to review the evidence on the health safety of food dyes. The panel's findings will determine whether products containing food dyes should carry warnings. Many parents are concerned about dyes because products for children often contain these artificial colors and one of the suspected effects of them is hyperactivity in children.

What we found

We researched several brands and types of pickle products to provide you with information to help you determine which products are safe. Interestingly, many of the manufacturers below do not provide ingredient lists on their websites; we had to visit retailers' sites to find these specifics. Below is a list of several products with their ingredients.

Vlasic Hamburger Dill Chips Pickles: cucumbers, water, distilled vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, sodium benzoate (preservative), natural, polysorbate 80, yellow 5.

Vlasic Homestyle Sweet Pickle Relish: cucumbers, high fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, salt, xanthan gum and guar gum, spice, calcium chloride, sodium benzoate (preservative), dehydrated red pepper, alum, natural flavor, polysorbate 80, yellow 5, blue 1.

Mt. Olive No Sugar Added Sweet Gherkins: cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, 0.1% sodium benzoate (preservative), alum, sucralose (splenda brand), xanthan gum, natural and artificial flavors, polysorbate 80, and fd&c yellow 5.

Nalley Bread and Butter Cucumber Chips: fresh cucumbers, high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, contains 2% or less of water, salt, spices, dehydrated onions, natural flavorings, calcium chloride, turmeric (color), polysorbate 80, yellow 5.

Milwaukee's Midget Kosher Dill Pickles: cucumber(s), water, salt, vinegar distilled, calcium chloride, garlic dehydrated, flavor(s) natural, polysorbate 80, yellow 5, potassium metabisulfite

Del-Dixi Hot Dill Pickles: cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, red pepper, alum, calcium chloride, natural flavoring, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preservatives), oleoresin turmeric & yellow #5 (colors), polysorbate 80 (emulsifier).

Heinz Polish Dill Spears: fresh cucumbers, water, distilled white vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, natural flavoring, polysorbate 80, fd&c yellow 5, garlic extract, acacia gum.

What you can do

Your local health food coop may have a policy against selling foods containing dyes. Trader Joe's line of pickles does not contain any artificial dyes, and some brands, such as Clausen's Pickles, seem to stick with natural food coloring. You can also learn to make your own pickles -- pickling is a great skill to increase your level of food self-sufficiency. An excellent source of a wide range of pickling recipes, as well as instructions on other varieties of fermented foods, is Sandor Katz' book Wild Fermentation.


Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com/029886_i...

http://www.wildfermentation.com/abo...

http://www.foodrenegade.com/the-col...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/h...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/w...

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034330_pickles_food_coloring_ingredients.html