Análises bromatológicas de missô artesanal / Bromatological analysis of handmade misso

Objetivo ­ Realizar análises bromatológicas de umidade, proteínas, pH e cinzas em missôs artesanais. A fermentação é um processo biotecnológico que tem sido utilizado para modificar e produzir alimentos desde a antiguidade. Nas últimas duas décadas, o interesse nos efeitos benéficos dos fermentados na saúde humana aumentou e tornou essa categoria de alimentos cada vez mais popular principalmente no Oriente. No mercado há uma ampla variedade de pastas à base de soja fermentada por microorganismos sendo conhecido popularmente como missô. Métodos ­ As análises realizadas foram secagem direta em estufa a 105°C graus para determinação da umidade (%) e calcinação em mufla para cinzas (%), determinação de pH por meio do peagâmetro e análise de proteínas através do teste de Biureto. Resultados ­ No presente estudo as amostras obtiveram um teor de umidade entre 52,71% a 60,48%, teor de cinzas variando de 1,12% a 22,7%, pH entre 5,35 e 8,68, e um teor de proteínas variando de 11,1% a 13,2%. Discussão ­ Foi interpretado e comparado os resultados obtidos com as análises de outros estudos, além disso, apontado algumas questões do campo bromatológico das pesquisas dos estudos comparados e as limitações do presente trabalho. Conclusão ­ O processo fermentativo de alimentos com microorganismos resulta em um produto diferenciado que pode ser benéfico a saúde com diferentes características organolépticas. Nossos resultados foram parcialmente semelhantes com outras pesquisas sendo que

Review of the health benefits of habitual consumption of miso soup: focus on the effects on sympathetic nerve activity, blood pressure, and heart rate

High salt intake increases blood pressure, and dietary salt intake has been clearly demonstrated to be associated with hypertension incidence. Japanese people consume higher amounts of salt than Westerners. It has been reported that miso soup was one of the major sources of daily salt intake in Japanese people. Adding salt is indispensable to make miso, and therefore, in some cases, refraining from miso soup is recommended to reduce dietary salt intake. However, recent studies using salt-sensitive hypertensive models have revealed that miso lessens the effects of salt on blood pressure. In other word, the intake of miso dose not increase the blood pressure compared to the equivalent intake of salt. In addition, many clinical observational studies have demonstrated the absence of a relationship between the frequency of miso soup intake and blood pressure levels or hypertension incidence. The mechanism of this phenomenon seen in the subjects with miso soup intake has not been fully elucidated yet. However, in basic studies, it was found that the ingredients of miso attenuate sympathetic nerve activity, resulting in lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Therefore, this review focused on the differences between the effects of miso intake and those of the equivalent salt intake on sympathetic nerve activity, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Fermented foods and preterm birth risk from a prospective large cohort study: the Japan Environment and Children's study

BACKGROUND@#The dietary pattern of pregnant women is known to be associated with preterm birth (PTB). We investigated whether PTB was associated with intake of fermented food by using data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study.@*METHODS@#From a data set of 103,099 pregnancies, 77,667 cases at low risk for PTB were analyzed. The primary outcome measurements were based on PTB. Fermented food (miso soup, yogurt, cheese, and fermented soybeans) consumption was assessed by using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.@*RESULTS@#Intake of miso soup, yogurt, and fermented soybeans before pregnancy significantly reduced the risk of early PTB (< 34 weeks). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for early PTB in women who had miso soup 1-2 days/week, 3-4 days/week, or ≥ 5 days/week were 0.58, 0.69, and 0.62, respectively, compared with those who had miso soup < 1 day/week (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40-0.85, 0.49-0.98, and 0.44-0.87). The adjusted OR for early PTB in women who ate yogurt ≥ 3 times/week was 0.62 (95% CI, 0.44-0.87) compared to those who ate yogurt < 1 time/week. The adjusted OR for early PTB in women who ate fermented soybeans ≥ 3 times/week was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.43-0.84) compared to those who ate < 1 time/week. However, the incidence of overall PTB and late PTB (34-36 weeks) was not associated with fermented food intake.@*CONCLUSION@#PTB low-risk women with a high consumption of miso soup, yogurt, and fermented soybeans before pregnancy have a reduced risk of early PTB.