7 Hidden Benefits of Fermented Soybeans Doctors Are Talking About for Women Over 40!
Have you ever felt that sharp pain in your knees when climbing the stairs? Or those sudden hot flashes that wake you up at night? If you’re a woman over 40, you’re definitely not alone. One out of three women in our country suffers from osteoporosis, and millions more struggle with menopause symptoms every single day. But what if I told you there’s one traditional fermented food, something our grandmothers have been eating for thousands of years, that could actually help with both bone loss and menopause symptoms at the same time? It sounds unbelievable, right? I thought so too, until I saw the science. Today, I want to share with you the seven hidden benefits of fermented soybeans, especially Cheonggukjang, that even Western medical experts are now paying close attention to. By the time you finish reading this post, you might start to see your breakfast in a whole new way.
What Are Fermented Soybeans?
First, let's understand what fermented soybeans actually are. It's really not complicated. You simply take cooked soybeans and ferment them with beneficial bacteria. Korean Cheonggukjang and Japanese Natto are the most famous examples. Some people love them, some hate them because of that unique smell and sticky texture, but once you know the benefits, your mind will completely change. Here's the important thing. Regular soybeans and fermented soybeans are completely different foods. Something almost magical happens during the fermentation process.
First, the proteins break down into amino acids. What does this mean? It means your body can absorb them directly without needing to digest them first. The absorption rate goes up to over 90 percent. Regular soybeans are only about 60 percent absorbable.
Second, vitamin K2 increases dramatically. How much are we talking about? More than 100 times the original amount. This becomes the key to bone health, and I'll explain this in detail in just a moment.
Third, the isoflavones become activated. These are crucial for relieving menopause symptoms, and after fermentation, the body's absorption rate increases by three times.
So to summarize, regular soybeans are definitely healthy, but fermented soybeans are on a completely different level. They're a true superfood. Now let's look at each specific benefit one by one. There's so much amazing information coming up, so please stay until the end. Now, let’s look at the seven specific benefits we’ll be exploring today. These are truly remarkable, so pay close attention. Let’s explore each one in detail.
This is really important because most people think bone loss is just inevitable as we age. But fermented soybeans completely flip this belief upside down.
There was a large-scale study in Japan where they tracked menopausal women for three years. They divided them into two groups, those who ate fermented soybeans daily and those who didn't. Want to know what happened?
The group that ate fermented soybeans saw their bone density increase by an average of 2.3 percent. Meanwhile, the group that didn't eat them actually lost 4.1 percent of their bone density. Do you realize how significant this difference is? Every 1 percent difference in bone density reduces fracture risk by 12 percent. So a 6 percent difference means reducing fracture risk by over 70 percent. That's huge, right?
So how does this work? The secret is in vitamin K2, which I mentioned earlier. Vitamin K2 acts like a traffic cop, directing calcium to your bones instead of your blood vessels.
When we consume calcium, it needs to go to our bones. But if it builds up in blood vessel walls instead, that's a big problem because it causes arterial hardening. Vitamin K2 guides this calcium precisely to the bones and not the arteries. So your bones get stronger and your blood vessels stay clean. It's a win-win situation.
Guess how much vitamin K2 is in 100 grams of Cheonggukjang? A whopping 800 percent of the daily recommended amount. That's almost a week's worth in one serving. Don't worry though, your body regulates it and uses only what it needs, then gets rid of the excess.
A large study from the Netherlands showed that people with high vitamin K2 intake had 65 percent lower fracture risk. This isn't just preventing bone loss, it's actively strengthening your bones.
2. Relieves Menopause Symptoms
I know many of you have been waiting for this part.
Why is menopause so difficult? When menopause hits, estrogen levels drop dramatically. Estrogen does so many important things in our body, and when it suddenly disappears, the body goes into confusion mode. That's why you get hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings like a roller coaster.
But the isoflavones in fermented soybeans solve this problem. Isoflavones are called plant estrogens. Why? Because their structure is 70 percent similar to actual estrogen. So they gently substitute for the missing hormones.
A Dutch research team studied 247 menopausal women. The results for the group that consumed fermented soy products daily were truly amazing. Hot flashes decreased by 45 percent, almost cut in half. Night sweats that wake you up also reduced significantly.
Sleep quality improved by 35 percent. Do you know how important this is? When you can't sleep, you're exhausted the next day and can't do anything. But when you get good sleep, you have energy during the day and your mood improves.
Mood swings also decreased by 40 percent. The sudden depression or irritability during menopause is also hormone related, and this improved a lot too.
Now here's an important point. Regular soybeans do contain isoflavones. But the isoflavones in fermented soybeans are three times more powerful. Why? During fermentation, the form of isoflavone changes from glycoside to aglycone, and this form is much better absorbed by our body.
3. Protects Heart and Blood Vessels
It protects your heart and blood vessels. This is really important, especially for menopausal women.
During fermentation, a special enzyme called nattokinase is created. This enzyme is amazing because it has the ability to directly break down blood clots. Blood clots are lumps of coagulated blood, and when they block blood vessels, you can get heart attacks or strokes. Really scary stuff.
The Japanese Heart Association conducted a large study, and the results were impressive. Bad cholesterol, the LDL, decreased by an average of 10 percent. Good cholesterol, HDL, increased by 15 percent. And triglycerides dropped by a whopping 20 percent.
How good are these results? They're similar to taking cholesterol medication. But medication has side effects and you have to take it for life. Fermented soybeans are just food and produce these effects.
There's something even more amazing. Blood vessel elasticity improved. They measured the arterial stiffness of people who ate fermented soybeans for 12 weeks, and it improved by 18 percent. Why are elastic blood vessels important? Blood pressure stabilizes and the burden on your heart reduces. So the risk of heart attacks and strokes drops significantly.
Here's what menopausal women need to know. Before menopause, estrogen protects your cardiovascular system. But after menopause, without estrogen, cardiovascular disease risk increases by five times. It goes up dramatically.
This is exactly when fermented soybeans can really help. They protect both your bones and your heart at the same time. So for menopausal women, this is almost an essential food.
4. Naturally Lowers Blood Pressure
Many of you take blood pressure medication, right? Pay attention to this part.
A study was done with 200 high blood pressure patients. They had them eat fermented soybeans daily for 8 weeks, and the results were really impressive. Systolic blood pressure dropped by an average of 12 points. Diastolic blood pressure went down by 8 points.
How significant is this? It's similar to taking mild hypertension medication. Plus, there are no side effects at all. Medication can make you dizzy or tired, but fermented soybeans are just food, so no worries there.
So how does blood pressure go down? The secret is in peptides. During fermentation, proteins break down and special peptides are created. These peptides block the enzyme that raises blood pressure.
Our body has an enzyme called ACE. It constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. The peptides in fermented soybeans block this ACE enzyme. So blood vessels relax and blood pressure naturally goes down. There's actually a type of blood pressure medication called ACE inhibitors that work on this same principle.
5. Revolutionizes Gut Health
You've probably heard a lot about how important gut health is these days, right? Fermented soybeans are truly excellent in this area.
Fermented soybeans have two secret weapons for gut health. First is probiotics. There are one billion live beneficial bacteria per gram. Yogurt has good lactobacillus too, but the problem is they're weak against stomach acid and die before reaching the intestines.
But the Bacillus bacteria in fermented soybeans are really strong against stomach acid. 99 percent of them reach the intestines alive. That's why they actually help your gut health.
Second is prebiotics. This is food for the beneficial bacteria. The dietary fiber in fermented soybeans becomes food for the good bacteria living in your gut. So gut microbiome diversity increases by 50 percent. The more diverse the bacteria types in your gut, the better for your health.
Korean researchers conducted a 12 week experiment, and the results were amazing. Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome improved by 60 percent. Stomach pain and diarrhea reduced significantly.
Constipation also decreased by 70 percent. So many women suffer from constipation. It gets even worse during menopause. Fermented soybeans solve this problem too.
Gut inflammation markers also dropped by 40 percent. Chronic inflammation often starts in the gut. Fermented soybeans tackle this inflammation.
Why is gut health important? 70 percent of our immune cells are in the gut. When the gut is healthy, immunity improves too. So the next benefit is immunity strengthening.
6. Strengthens Immune System
We all know how important immunity is. Studies have tracked people who ate fermented soybeans, and they found that the frequency of catching colds decreased by 35 percent.
Just not catching colds alone is already a big benefit. When you do catch a cold, it usually lasts for about a week, which can really affect your daily life.
What's even more interesting is that even when they did catch colds, recovery was faster. Normal people take about a week, but people who ate fermented soybeans recovered 40 percent faster. So they got better in just 4 days.
Why does this happen? Because of NK cells. NK stands for Natural Killer cells. They're like special forces in our body. They find and directly eliminate cancer cells or virus infected cells.
When you eat fermented soybeans, the activity of these NK cells increases by 25 percent. So your body's defense power becomes much stronger. Even when cold viruses enter, they're caught quickly and eliminated quickly, so symptoms are mild or you don't get sick at all.
7. Anti-Inflammation and Anti-Aging
It tackles chronic inflammation and slows down aging. This is really important because chronic inflammation is the root cause of almost all chronic diseases.
What is chronic inflammation? Acute inflammation is when you get hurt and it gets red, swollen and painful. That's not bad. It's the body's healing process. But chronic inflammation is different. You can't see it, it doesn't hurt, but there's a fire burning inside your body constantly.
This chronic inflammation worsens osteoporosis, causes heart disease, and even leads to dementia. During menopause, inflammation explodes as estrogen decreases. That's why various diseases develop after menopause.
The anti-inflammatory effects of fermented soybeans are truly amazing. CRP, an inflammation marker, dropped by 30 percent. The inflammatory substance IL-6 decreased by 25 percent, and TNF-alpha reduced by 20 percent.
How significant is this level? It's similar to taking anti-inflammatory painkillers. But if you take medication long term, it's bad for your stomach and burdens your liver. Fermented soybeans have no such side effects at all.
The antioxidant capacity is also excellent. Free radicals are the main culprit of aging, and the polyphenols in fermented soybeans catch these free radicals. They contain twice as much as regular soybeans.
What's even more interesting is the skin improvement effect. They measured the skin of people who ate fermented soybeans for 8 weeks. Wrinkles reduced by 15 percent. Skin hydration increased by 22 percent, and skin elasticity improved by 18 percent.
When you become healthy from the inside, you look younger on the outside too.
How to Consume
So we've looked at all seven amazing benefits of fermented soybeans. Now the most important question. How much and when should you eat it?
Let me start with the recommended amount. For Cheonggukjang, 50 to 100 grams per day is enough. That's about one small package you can buy at the store. If you eat Natto, 40 to 50 grams, so one package is fine. If you use Cheonggukjang powder, one to two tablespoons per day is appropriate.
So when is the best time to eat it? There are two optimal timings.
Eating it on an empty stomach in the morning maximizes probiotic absorption. When your stomach is empty, the beneficial bacteria reach the intestines better. So having Cheonggukjang stew for breakfast is really good.
Eating it at dinner is also good. Why? Because vitamin K2 promotes bone formation while you sleep at night. Our body regenerates and recovers mainly at night. So you're supplying nutrients at that time.
If you want to enhance the effects even more, try these combinations. Eating it with vitamin D doubles calcium absorption. So adding mushrooms or eggs, which are rich in vitamin D, to your Cheonggukjang is perfect.
Eating it with seaweed like kelp or wakame is also good. Iodine protects thyroid health. Thyroid function tends to decline during menopause, so this combination helps.
Eating it with kimchi creates a synergy effect. Both are fermented foods, so it's really good for gut health. There was a reason our ancestors ate Cheonggukjang wrapped in kimchi.
But there are some precautions you need to remember.
First, if you take blood thinning medication like warfarin, you need to be careful. Vitamin K2 can interfere with the medication's effectiveness. If you take such medication, please consult your doctor first.
Second, people with thyroid disorders also need caution. A component called goitrogen in soybeans can affect thyroid function. If you keep it under 100 grams per day, there's no problem. Just don't overdo it.
Third, some of you struggle with the smell, right? I did too at first. For these people, choose frozen products and the smell is much less. Or you can mix Cheonggukjang powder into smoothies or add it to cooking, and you'll barely notice the smell.
When choosing products, just check these things. Products made with organic soybeans are good. Choose ones without synthetic additives, and pick fresh products that have been refrigerated or frozen.
If you're trying it for the first time, start with small amounts. If you eat too much suddenly, you might get gas. Start with one spoonful and gradually increase the amount. Give your body time to adapt.
How to Make Cheonggukjang at Home
Now, here’s how you can make Cheonggukjang at home. It’s actually easier than you think.
First, you need organic soybeans, about 500 grams. Soak them in water overnight, at least 8 to 10 hours. The beans will double in size, so make sure you use a large enough bowl.
Next morning, drain the water and rinse the beans well. Put them in a pressure cooker with fresh water covering them by about 2 inches. Cook on high pressure for about 40 minutes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can boil them in a regular pot for 3 to 4 hours until they're very soft. You should be able to mash them easily between your fingers.
Once they're cooked, drain the beans but save about half a cup of the cooking liquid. This liquid is full of nutrients. Let the beans cool down to about 40 to 45 degrees Celsius. This temperature is crucial because if it's too hot, you'll kill the bacteria.
Now here's the key step. You need a starter culture. You can buy Bacillus subtilis powder online, or you can use a spoonful of store bought Cheonggukjang or Natto as your starter. Mix the starter thoroughly with the warm beans.
Spread the beans in a shallow container, about 2 inches deep. Cover it loosely with a clean cloth, not airtight because the bacteria need oxygen. Place the container in a warm spot, ideally 40 to 45 degrees Celsius. You can use your oven with just the light on, or a yogurt maker, or even wrap it in blankets near a heater.
Let it ferment for 24 to 48 hours. You'll know it's ready when you see white film on top and it has that characteristic ammonia smell. The beans will be sticky and have stringy threads when you stir them.
Once fermentation is complete, store it in the refrigerator. It will last for about 2 weeks in the fridge, or you can freeze portions for up to 3 months.
One important tip. The smell can be strong during fermentation, so maybe do this when you can open windows, or place the fermenting container in a well ventilated area.
Where to Buy
If making it at home sounds like too much work, don't worry. There are plenty of places to buy quality Cheonggukjang.
Your best option is Korean grocery stores. Most cities with Korean communities have these stores, and they usually carry several brands of fresh or frozen Cheonggukjang. The staff can help you choose a good product.
If you don't have a Korean store nearby, online is your next best option. Amazon carries several brands of Cheonggukjang powder, which is easier to use and has almost no smell. Look for products that say organic soybeans, no artificial additives, and check the reviews. This is perfect for beginners. Just add it to soups, stews, or even smoothies. For Natto, which is the Japanese version, most regular supermarkets now carry it in the Asian or health food section. It's usually in small styrofoam containers in the frozen section. Price wise, a typical package costs between 3 to 8 dollars and lasts for several servings. So it's actually very affordable for all the health benefits you get. When buying, always check the expiration date and make sure the product has been kept refrigerated or frozen. Fresh is always better for probiotics.
Alright everyone, today we learned about the wonderful power of fermented soybeans.
Isn’t it amazing that just one simple food can bring so many benefits? It’s something our ancestors have cherished for thousands of years, and it’s still here to support our health today.
Remember, staying healthy isn’t about doing something big or complicated. It’s about the small choices we make every day.
Starting today, try adding one package of Cheonggukjang to your breakfast.
If that feels like too much, just add a spoonful of Cheonggukjang powder to your smoothie.
Try it for three months and see how your body responds.
You might notice your steps feel lighter when you climb stairs, you sleep more deeply at night, and your skin starts to glow when you look in the mirror.
Don’t wait until you lose your health to realize its value. Start now, and your future self will thank you for the choice you made today.
Healthy bones, peaceful days, and a vibrant life are all within your reach.
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