The Nukazuke boom has arrived! What are the nutrition and effects of Nukazuke?

Now that we have more time at home, more and more people are pickling Nukazuke at home, and the appeal of Nukazuke is regaining attention. There is an image that Nukazuke is “good for your health”, but what kind of effect can you actually expect? A nutritionist will explain the nutrition and effects of Nukazuke.

Nukazuke, which is re-focused due to the increase in home time

Nukazuke is a fermented “nukazuke” with vegetables pickled. The bran bed is made by lactic acid fermentation of “nuka”, which is produced when millet such as rice, is mixed with salt and water. Chili peppers, kelp, and Japanese pepper may be added, and as the fermentation progresses, the taste becomes deeper.

Nukazuke requires regular maintenance and takes time, so it seems that the number of households making nukazuke has decreased in recent years, but recently it has become easier to obtain a bran floor that does not require maintenance, and at home. It seems that more and more people are pickling Nukazuke at home because they spend more time in Japan.

The reason why Nukazuke is said to be “good for your health”

What is the reason why Nukazuke is said to be “good for your health”? We will explain the nutrition that changes and the expected effects of pickling in bran.

Useful for “intestinal activity” that regulates the intestinal environment

Nukazuke, a fermented food, contains plant-derived lactic acid bacteria. It is a perfect food for “intestinal activity” that regulates the intestinal environment.

Lactic acid bacteria suppress the growth of bad bacteria in the intestine and activate the function of the intestine. By adjusting the intestinal environment, not only can you expect to relieve constipation, but it will also help boost immunity and prevent cancer. Bad bacteria increase due to an unbalanced diet, irregular lifestyle, stress and constipation, so those who fall under these categories should actively incorporate fermented foods.

In addition, lactic acid bacteria do not live in the intestines, so it is said that they need to be supplemented every day. Nukazuke is easy to incorporate into your daily diet.

Increased nutritional value of vitamin B1 and potassium!

Bran is rich in nutrients such as vitamin B1 and potassium, and by soaking vegetables in it, the nutritional value of vegetables can be improved. Taking cucumber as an example, let’s compare the case of raw and the case of pickled bran.

[Comparison per 100g]

* Created from the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan 2020 (8th edition)

Potassium is about 3 times and vitamin B1 is about 8.7 times, so you can see that the amount of nutrients is increased by pickling in bran.

Potassium has the function of excreting excess sodium from the body. Nukazuke is easy to take too much salt, so it is a nice point to be able to replenish potassium at the same time.

Vitamin B1 is also an essential nutrient for sugar metabolism. Nukazuke and rice are a perfect combination from a nutritional point of view, as they help the metabolism of the sugar contained in the rice.

In addition, the amount of nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin K, and niacin is increasing, so you can get the nutrition of the bran well.

caution! Be careful about the amount when you eat Nukazuke

Nukazuke uses a lot of salt to improve its shelf life. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and swelling, so it is NG to eat a lot because it is good for your health.

The amount of salt contained in Nukazuke is as follows.

・ Cucumber (3 slices 15g)… 0.8g
・ Radish (3 slices 30g)… 1.1g・ Eggplant (3 slices
15g)… 0.4g

According to the Japanese Dietary Intake Standards (2020 Edition), the daily target amount of salt equivalent is less than 7.5 g for men and less than 6.5 g for women. The amount of salt intake should be kept to about 2 to 2.5 g per meal, so if you eat a lot of Nukazuke, you will exceed the target amount in a blink of an eye.

Try to eat only a few slices and eat only in the morning without eating each meal. Also, if you use handmade bran pickles, you can adjust the amount of salt, so it’s a good idea to keep it modest.

Some commercially available bran floors are soaked from the day you buy them and require little mixing. For the first Nukazuke, it seems good to try something like this. Please make your own Nukazuke and use it to improve your health.