Miso is believed to have effects of protection against radiation and can be used to treat radiation sickness.
What is Miso?
Miso (みそ or 味噌) is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is typically produced by fermenting soybeans, with salt and the fungus kojikin (麹菌). It is believed that miso was originated in China, Korea or Thailand. In Korea, the similar seasoning is Doenjang – a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. In China, it is called Doujiang (豆酱, Doubanjiang, 豆瓣酱). Actually, Miso, Doenjang and Doujiang have similar taste. They all are salty and made from fermented soybeans.
Does Miso Protect against Radiation?
Scientists suggest that miso can help treat radiation sickness, citing cases in Japan and Russia where people have been fed miso after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In 1945, after the atomic bombing of Japan, Japanese doctor Tatsuichiro Akizuki fed his staff and patients a strict diet consisting of: miso, brown rice, seaweeds and other food to help prevent radiation sickness from pre-existing exposure. He saved everyone in his hospital, while many others in the area died from radiation sickness.
According to a study (published in 2001) conducted by Ohara M, Lu H in Department of Environment and Mutation, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University in Japan, miso is shown the radioprotective effects against radiation in B6C3F1 mice. It increased small intestinal crypt survival, crypt lengths and prolongation of average time to death. Miso at three different fermentation stages (early-, medium- and long-term fermented miso) was mixed in MF diet into biscuits at 10% and was administered from 1 week before irradiation. During the study, animal survival in the long-term fermented miso group was significantly prolonged comparing with the short-term fermented miso and MF cases after 8 Gy of 60Co-gamma-ray irradiation at a dose rate of 2Gy min(-1). Delay in mortality was evident in all 3 miso groups, with significantly increased survival. Researchers found that, at doses of 10 and 12 Gy X-irradiation at a dose rate of 4 Gy min(-1), the long-term fermented miso significantly increased crypt survival. Also the protective influence against irradiation in terms of crypt lengths in the long-term fermented miso group was greater than in the short-term or medium-term fermented miso and MF diet groups. Thus, prolonged fermentation appears to be very important for protection against radiation effects.
How to Eat Miso?
Miso can be added to a soup, salad or eaten with breakfast. You can also add miso to pork, chicken and fish. Do you want to learn how to make a miso soup? Here are three miso soup recipes:
Miso for Radiation and Food Poisoning: Three Miso Soup Recipes
