Healthy bones and a bowl of miso
Hot on the heels of last month’s ‘legumes linked to lower diabetes risk’ story, comes news that boosting your intake of fermented soybeans (like miso) can help with insulin resistance and lead to improvements in bone health. In a study published in Geriatrics and Gerontology International (vol. 8, supplement 1), 56 healthy post-menopausal women were randomly assigned to receive a bowl of fermented soybean soup, providing a daily isoflavone aglycone dose of 24 milligrams, or a bowl of a placebo soup for four weeks. The women didn’t eat any other soybean-based foods or isoflavone supplements for five weeks prior to the start of the trial nor during it. Lead author Mari Mori from Mukogawa Women's University Institute reports that a ‘four-week intake of fermented soybeans improves bone metabolism in post-menopausal women by attenuating the excessive enhancement of bone resorption as well as by promoting bone formation.’ The researchers also found that blood levels of insulin were significantly lower after four weeks of the fermented soybean soup, compared to the placebo soup.![[MISO]](http://www.glycemicindex.com/blog/2008/april08/miso250.jpg)
If you haven’t tried it, miso is a Japanese soybean and grain paste that has been fermented and then aged for up to three years. It is usually made with rice or barley. It’s a versatile savoury soup base similar to bouillon paste or cubes. Look for tubs of miso in the refrigerated section of Japanese food markets, health foods stores, or large supermarkets. Powdered miso is also available, as are powdered soup mixes made with miso and dashi.
And if you want to boost your bone health, try Kate Hemphill’s miso soup recipe this month.
Where do you get it?
Readers tell us that they have problems tracking down some of the low GI foods we recommend. So now you have it. ‘Where do you get it?’ Dietitian Kate Marsh is first of the rank with her favourite organic home delivery service who stock Nicola potatoes, brown basmati rice, quinoa and a wide range of legumes and sourdough breads! So Sydneysiders, this one is for you: www.abundantorganics.com.au
1 April 2008
Food of the Month
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7 comments:
Abundant are great. I've been getting them to deliver for several years now. the food is always great and Kate's weekly column is fantastic and inspiring.
I have heard before that Miso is good for you and have tried the dried packet miso, but I found it tasts so very salt - esp now that I have managed to cut a lot of salt out of my diet as recomended for high blood pressure. Is this a problem or should I persist with Miso.
Re miso: we'll ask our dietitians what they recommend and post a reply to this as soon as possible.
Miso is high in sodium and if people are eating a lot of it, our dietitians tend to suggest cutting back quantities to reduce sodium intake. Or to use it more as a flavouring along with other herbs and spices or spring onions etc. Looks like there are pros and cons with everything! Low salt soy food options include tofu, tempeh and soy beans (depending how you prepare them). It really all comes back to eating a wide variety of foods in moderation. No one food is a magic bullet.
Here's a tip for using less miso but not losing out on flavour.
'The key to fine miso cookery is not to overpower dishes with a strong miso taste, but to integrate the more subtle aspects of miso color and flavor in a gentle balance with other ingredients. For example, when making miso soup, the use of a kombu, shiitake, kombu-bonito, or vegetable stock helps achieve a full, rich flavor with considerably less miso than you would need if you boil vegetables in plain water and rely on miso to supply all the flavor. The latter method usually results in either an overly salty soup or one that is watery, bland and unappetizing.'
For more information check out: http://www.mitoku.com/recipes/index/miso.html
If you live outside of a metropolitan area, and eat a Low GI, gluten-free diet, like I do, I heartily recommend Santos Wholefoods at Byron Bay for on-line groceries. They offer an extensive range of well-priced whole foods in environmentally-aware packaging. I live in Bowen, North Queensland. My orders are delivered to my door in 3 days or less. Santos strive to keep freight costs low. By combining my regular order with a friend we get the very best deal on freight. Santos staff are friendly, efficient and know their products well. Product information includes country of origin and, in some cases, whether organically or bio-dynamically grown. They stock several miso varieties, agave syrup, turtle beans, quinoa, whole buckwheat and loads of other hard- to-come-by (here in Bowen) stuff. Here's a link to their website: http://www.santostrading.com.au/
No, they aren't paying me and I have no connection with Santos beyond being a satisfied (and well-fed) customer.
KatyT
If you live outside of a metropolitan area, and eat a Low GI, gluten-free diet, like I do, I heartily recommend Santos Wholefoods at Byron Bay for on-line groceries. They offer an extensive range of well-priced whole foods in environmentally-aware packaging. I live in Bowen, North Queensland. My orders are delivered to my door in 3 days or less. Santos strive to keep freight costs low. By combining my regular order with a friend we get the very best deal on freight. Santos staff are friendly, efficient and know their products well. Product information includes country of origin and, in some cases, whether organically or bio-dynamically grown. They stock several miso varieties, agave syrup, turtle beans, quinoa, whole buckwheat and loads of other hard- to-come-by (here in Bowen) stuff. Here's a link to their website: http://www.santostrading.com.au/
No, they aren't paying me and I have no connection with Santos beyond being a satisfied (and well-fed) customer.
KatyT
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