6 Japanese Superfoods to Boost Your Health

As you know, Japan is the country with the highest life expectancy in the world. You know what one of the secrets is? Yes, food. Japan has a bunch of superfoods that support our long living life. So today, I'm gonna introduce six of them and try to explain why it's healthy. Honestly, it took me a super long time to gather all the evidence. So please, please enjoy watching until the end. All right, let's go. First, miso. There is a saying in Japan, rather than paying a doctor, pay at a miso shop. Yeah, miso is fermented soybean paste that has long been considered a healthy food in Japan. One of the famous shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, is said to be Japan's first health nut. Yeah, it's said that he drank miso soup every single day. And as a result, he lived until 75 years old in an era where the average lifespan was 37. Isn't it amazing? There's plenty of research that backing up miso's health benefits. Yeah, like this. I'm gonna read, okay? Drinking three or more bowls of miso soup per day reduces the incidence of breast cancer by 40%. Smokers who drink miso soup every day have a lower mortality rate. Miso reduces the increase of stroke. What is that? Myocardial infarction, etc. Is that right? Fermentation gives miso anti-aging properties. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's tons of evidence that miso is good for our health. Also, miso has special unique benefit. Miso protects you against radioactive substances. Yeah, one study revealed that miso accelerates cell regeneration and protect against radiation. So that's why it's a sad story. But after the Hiroshima atomic bombing, patients who drank miso soup every day had a fewer effect from radiation poisoning. But anyway, miso's power is incredible. Miso keeps the doctor away. This saying in Japan might actually be true. Second, natto. What? What is this? Smells like dust socks. That's how my American friend described natto. It's made from fermented soybeans and typical traditional Japanese food. And it's stinky. But please don't underestimate it. Because I think this is the most renowned and powerful Japanese superfood. So what's the health benefits? I picked three that I think are important ones. Okay, first, smoother blood flow. The slimy part of natto contains this enzyme called natto kinase. One study revealed that this natto kinase has a strong thrombolytic effect. In a nutshell, it makes the blood smoother. That's why people who eat more than 10 grams of natto daily have a 70% lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially strokes. Second, super quality plant-based protein. Check this out. Per 100 grams, here's how much it has protein compared to other foods. Tofu is at 7 grams. Eggs are 12.2 grams. And natto is 16.5 grams. Chicken thighs are 16.6 grams. It's almost the same as natto. Wow, this is a lot. Also, another amazing thing about natto is its absorption rate. Eating roasted soybeans, 20%. Eating mashed soybeans, 60%. Eating fermented, which is natto, 80%. Pretty impressive, right? Third, balancing your intestinal flora. Natto is packed with natto bacteria, which are beneficial bacteria for your intestinal flora. In fact, a study showed that after consuming natto powder for two months, both men and women experienced an increase in good bacteria in their intestines. Plus, natto is full of dietary fiber, which serves as food for those beneficial bacteria. Isn't that amazing? I think for vegans, natto could be a great alternative to yogurt. And besides all that, natto is not only good for our body, it's good for the earth. In Japan especially, natto bacteria has been said to be effective in improving water and soil quality. There are actually products of natto bacteria to improve water quality. My mother actually is using natto bacteria for cultivation. Yeah, that's natto superpower! Three, shikuwasa. Let's not forget about shikuwasa. Shikuwasa is the original species of mikan orange, a healthy food from Okinawa, the longevity island in Japan. I'll tell you about two outstanding effects. First, builds a body resistant to fatigue. It contains two times more citric acid than lemons. So it's super sour, but with this citric acid, the body's fatigues are broken down. Second, powerhouse of antioxidants. Shikuwasa contains more than 10 times the amount of polyphenol called nobilechin. Sorry if my pronunciation is not correct. Nobilechin? Than mikan oranges. So it has a very strong antioxidant effect, preventing cells from aging. Yeah, when you go to Okinawa, you'll find shikuwasa sold everywhere. And there are also shikuwasa juice. So please try buying some when you visit Okinawa. Fourth, matcha. Yes, it's matcha, which I drink every day. The health benefit of matcha have been famous in Japan since ancient times, and many people drink it. Even my great-grandma, who lived to 96 years old, drank matcha every morning. There are many benefits, but I'll tell you two of them today. First, wake up calmly. You know what? Matcha contains as much caffeine as coffee. So both wake you up when you drink it, but no caffeine crush when drinking matcha. Because matcha contains an amino acid called L-theanine. Which has a relaxing effect and prevents the negative effects of caffeine. So you are able to warm calmly, not like a sudden wake up when drinking coffee. I love this way of waking up calmly, because it gives me a precious relaxing time in the morning. By the way, since a lot of people asked about the matcha I drink, let me tell you about three matcha that I love for now. First, hizou denrai. This is the most delicious matcha I've ever had. Very rich taste and it's sweet. I love the farmer too. Second, matcha gokoro from Chaffinity. This is the best organic matcha I've ever had. The regular organic matcha tea is usually bitter, but this matcha is not bitter at all. Very rich taste and powerful. Owner Kentaro-san and the farmer Sakamoto-san are both passionate about organic matcha. I love them. Third, samurai matcha in the future. Sorry, not yet. But now I'm trying to create my own matcha brand. Tasting matcha all over Japan. Sometimes I drink too much and feel bad. I'll try to find a great matcha, so please look forward to it. Okay, let's move on to the next benefit of matcha. Second, regulates the intestines. Studies show that drinking two cups of matcha a day for two weeks reduces bad bacteria and increases good bacteria in the intestine thanks to its high catechin content. You know how much catechin matcha contains compared to green tea, sencha? 10 times. It boosts immunity, helps prevent aging, and can even help avoid obesity. Yeah, matcha is great. Fifth, umeboshi. Umeboshi is a dried, salt-pickled ume plum. Have you ever tried umeboshi? I'm sure if you eat it, your face would be like this. Yeah, it's super sour. But it's super healthy. I'll tell you two main health benefits. First, your good post-workout body. Umeboshi is rich in citric acid, malic acid, amino acids that break down muscle fatigue. So umeboshi is perfect after intense exercise. That's why at the Osaka marathon, you might find umeboshi being sold. For me, I used to eat umeboshi after sports events or matches. And I swear the next day, my tiredness really eased. A common way to eat umeboshi in Japan is in a hinomaru bento. You put umeboshi in the middle of the rice. It looks like a Japanese flag. Cute, right? But let me tell you, if you upset whoever cooks it, it'll be like this. Yeah, we call it gyaku hinomaru bento. Reverse hinomaru bento. Not pretty, right? Second, prevent body acidification. Now, here's a question. Actually, it's an alkaline food, even if it's sour. Long story short, because once citric acid on umeboshi enters the body, it changes to alkaline. Yeah, our bodies tend to become acidic. Because many foods we eat daily are acidic, making the blood viscous and prone to various diseases. That's why umeboshi is perfect to balance it. For example, when you eat 100 grams of beef, you only need 5 grams of umeboshi to neutralize it. Yeah, that's the power of umeboshi. Sixth, amazake. Amazake is a fermented rice drink. And we sometimes call it drinkable IV. In fact, amazake contains nutritions similar to an IV drip, such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, oligosaccharides, dietary fiber, amino acids, and glucose. While it has many health benefits, there are two main ones. First, skin miracle worker. Amazake is rich in vitamin B, which promotes the metabolism of the skin, flushing out skin toxics. Second, relieves constipation. The other day, I had an amazake at the festival. After drinking it, I immediately went to the bathroom. Yeah, it worked really well. Yeah, it has abundant dietary fiber. Yeah, which helps regulate intestinal environment. The good thing about amazake is that it's easy to make at home. That's amazake. If you have any questions about Japanese food, feel free to comment. Maybe I can make a video for that in the future. Did you find one you want to try? Is it natto? If so, yeah, please give it a try. All right, let's stay healthy together. I hope to see you in the next video. Bye-bye.