Doenjang, a traditional Korean seasoning paste made from fermented soybeans, is a natural and highly effective remedy for relieving menopausal symptoms while also reducing LDL cholesterol.
A new clinical study involving experts from Wonkwang University Hospital in Korea compared the effects of traditional and commercial doenjang on menopausal women and examined the influence of healthy microbes. The results can be read in the English-language specialist magazine “Nutrients”.
Relieve menopausal symptoms through diet
Researchers around the world are trying to identify foods whose consumption can alleviate the symptoms of menopause. According to the new study, traditional Korean food seasoning paste appears to do just that.
The team studied a group of 18 women who consumed a traditional doenjang supplement containing high levels of healthy microbes. A second group of 18 women consumed a traditional doenjang supplement with a low dose of healthy microbes. A third group of participants included a total of 20 women who consumed commercial doenjang supplementation.
Severity of menopausal symptoms is determined
After taking the drug for four weeks, the experts determined the so-called Kupperman index, an assessment tool used in medicine to assess the severity of symptoms in menopausal women.
Possible hematological changes before and after taking Doenjang were also analyzed. The researchers report that it was also examined how consumption affected the obesity and body composition of the participants.
The team also used stool samples to determine possible changes in microorganisms and short-chain fatty acids after consuming doenjang.
Menopausal symptoms significantly reduced
Doenjang was found to be associated with a significant reduction in Kupperman index in all three groups, the research team said. This decline was greatest in the group that took traditional doenjang with a low dose of healthy microbes.
The researchers also found that only traditional doenjang intake was associated with a reduction in LDL cholesterol. However, in general, no changes were found in obesity and inflammation indicators when taking Doenjang.
Effects on the intestinal flora
However, the number of so-called Firmicutes (bacteria associated with obesity) decreased in the group of participants who consumed commercial Doenjang, the experts report.
In addition, the number of Bacteroidetes bacteria, which play an important role in digestion, for example, was found both in the group of participants who consumed traditional doenjang with a high proportion of healthy microbes and in the group who consumed commercial doenjang , gone up.
Overall, according to the researchers, the results show that dietary supplementation with traditional doenjang is more effective in alleviating menopausal symptoms than dietary supplementation with commercial doenjang. But the commercial version also seems to offer advantages. (as)
