Can miso soup with tomatoes stabilize post-meal blood sugar? The truth about blood sugar at Japanese dining tables.

A fasting blood sugar level that is consistently within the normal range is the most reassuring report. However, some people have consistently normal fasting blood sugar levels, yet feel drowsy after meals, and then experience hunger pangs and irritability two or three hours later—the problem may lie in that post-meal period.

In recent years, a popular saying in Japan has emerged: adding tomatoes to miso soup can suppress the rise in blood sugar after meals. The combination itself isn't bad. Tomatoes contain lycopene, and miso is made from fermented soybeans; research on both can be found. However, the most crucial explanation—"lycopene and β-conglycinin work together to increase adiponectin"—doesn't stand up to close scrutiny; and the most important thing to be mindful of in a bowl of miso soup, almost never mentioned in popular opinion, is salt.

This soup is worth drinking, provided you know what it does, what it can't do, and how many bowls you can drink a day.

First, distinguish between three numbers: fasting, two hours postprandial, and glycated hemoglobin.

"Blood sugar" is not just a number, but three complementary aspects. These three are commonly found on medical examination reports.

index	normal	Slightly elevated (but not yet diabetes-related)	Diabetes range
fasting blood glucose	Below 6.1 mmol/L (110 mg/dL)	6.1–6.9 mmol/L (110–125 mg/dL)	7.0 mmol/L or higher (126 mg/dL)
Blood sugar two hours after a meal	Below 7.8 mmol/L (140 mg/dL)	7.8–11.0 mmol/L (141–199 mg/dL)	11.1 mmol/L or higher (200 mg/dL)
Glycated heme HbA1c	Below 5.7% (some guidelines use 6.0%)	5.7–6.4%	6.5% or above

Hong Kong lab reports mostly use mmol/L, while Taiwan and Japan typically use mg/dL. The same threshold is written in two different formats:7.8 mmol/L is equivalent to 140 mg/dL11.1 is 200. Don't assume that "140" is a different standard; just convert it.

There's another point that's often confused. The so-called "average blood sugar level" is actually what's measured during a physical exam.Glycated heme—It reflects the average level over the past two to three months, not immediate blood sugar, and is not affected by the previous night's meal. To catch the post-meal spike, you can only have your blood drawn two hours after the meal, or do continuous monitoring yourself.

As for when the peak occurs: most people experience their peak within half an hour to an hour after eating, and then it drops back down around two hours later. The commonly heard phrase "peaking in one to two hours" actually refers to "the two-hour blood draw time," not that everyone has to wait until two hours for the peak to occur.

Here, we must uphold a boundary:A single instance of exceeding the standard does not necessarily mean diabetes.A single elevated result might simply be due to eating porridge, noodles, or rice noodles at that meal, or not getting enough sleep the night before; to confirm the diagnosis, repeated testing or an oral glucose tolerance test is required for a doctor's assessment.

Second, the actual situation in Hong Kong is more realistic than the figure for Japan.

A frequently cited claim is that over 14 million people in Japan suffer from postprandial hyperglycemia. This figure is widely circulated in Japanese media, but no official statistics match it. The closest study is a survey conducted by Juntendo University School of Medicine on underweight young women—finding that 13.31% of them had impaired glucose tolerance, which is different from the "14 million people nationwide" figure and cannot be substituted for each other.

Hong Kong's figures, on the other hand, are much more reliable. The Department of Health's 2020-22 Population Health Survey shows that among the non-hospitalized population aged 15 to 84,8.5% indicates diabetes or elevated blood sugar.Of these, 5.4% was diagnosed by a doctor, while the other 3.1% was only discovered during laboratory testing—in other words,About one in three patients is unaware that something is wrong with them.。

According to the Hong Kong Diabetes Reference Overview published by the Health and Medical Bureau, the prevalence is "one in ten people," approximately 700,000. The prevalence increases with age, with a significantly higher rate in the 65-84 age group.

Putting these two numbers together, the conclusion is quite straightforward:It's not that "there's nothing to worry about if you haven't been diagnosed," but rather that "there are more undiagnosed people than we think."People over 45 years of age, those with high weight or waist circumference, or those with a family history of diabetes should proactively have their fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin tested; the government's "Pilot Scheme for the Joint Governance of Chronic Diseases" has included diabetes and hypertension screening in its funding scope.

III. Where does the harm occur when postprandial high blood sugar?

Blood vessels are the first part of the body affected. When blood sugar levels are high, the vascular endothelium is constantly immersed in sugary water, leading to increased oxidative stress, decreased nitric oxide levels, and a reduction in the blood vessels' ability to relax. This process is often imperceptible until complications develop.

Several directions with solid evidence:

• cardiovascularThe World Health Organization states that the risk of heart attack and stroke in adults with diabetes is approximately the same as that in the general population.Two to three times。
• Cognitive impairment—A meta-analysis encompassing 28 prospective studies indicates that the relative risk of developing any type of cognitive impairment in individuals with diabetes is [missing information]. 1.73 times(95% confidence interval 1.65– 1.82); Alzheimer's disease 1.56 times, vascular cognitive impairment 2.27 times.
• Some cancers—The Centre for Health Protection specifically named colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer in women.
• Kidneys, eyes, feetKidney failure, retinopathy, and lower limb amputation are the three most common serious consequences of diabetes in the local area.

Another set of figures circulating online claims that the risk of cardiovascular disease is 1.9 times higher, cancer 1.6 times higher, and cognitive impairment 1.5 times higher. This set of figures comes from health education materials from a Japanese clinic; the original study did not include this data. The general direction is correct—the risk of cardiovascular disease is indeed about twice as high, and cognitive impairment is indeed close to 1.5 to 1.7 times higher—but... No equivalent evidence could be found for a cancer count 1.6 times higher.However, the relationship between cancer and diabetes varies depending on the type of cancer, so writing it as a total multiple would be inaccurate.

A more honest way to put it is:Diabetes increases the risk of several specific cancers, but it doesn't mean that "the risk of cancer is always multiplied by 1.6".。

Fourth, "fluctuations in blood sugar" and "high average blood sugar" are not the same thing.

These two concepts are often discussed together, but their strength of evidence differs greatly.

Average blood sugar is highThe evidence regarding the relationship with complications is relatively consistent. The higher the glycated hemoglobin level, the more microvascular and macrovascular complications there are; this is a conclusion accumulated from decades of large-scale trials.

Blood sugar fluctuations themselvesWhether it caused harm independently remains controversial. The ADAG study tracked more than 400 diabetic patients for 16 weeks using continuous blood glucose monitoring and found that the most significant associations with cardiovascular risk factors were average blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin.The correlation between volatility indicators is not significant.On the other hand, analysis of the VADT trial found that fluctuations in fasting blood glucose were associated with cardiovascular events, but this relationship only occurred in the intensive control group.

Both sides have data, illustrating the same thing:The most stable indicator at present is still the average level.The independent role of fluctuations requires further research. This does not mean that fluctuations are unimportant, but rather that we should not be overly anxious because "my blood sugar fluctuates today"; conversely, we should not assume we are safe just because "my fasting blood sugar is normal"—the postprandial fluctuation is not visible on an empty stomach.

Fifth, the three things that make sense in this combination, and a dose difference.

There's a reason why miso soup with tomatoes is recommended; there's definitely a mechanism to it.

First, soybeans and fermentation products.Miso is made by fermenting soybeans, rice, or wheat with salt and koji mold. Fermentation converts soy isoflavones from glycosides into more easily absorbed aglycones and also produces a number of small peptides. The relationship between these components and blood lipids and vascular function is a major focus of miso-related research.

Second, lycopene.The red color of tomatoes comes from lycopene, a fat-soluble carotenoid that can quench singlet oxygen. Laboratory studies have found that lycopene and β-carotene can activate AMPK signaling through adiponectin receptors—this is a cellular-level result, and does not mean that drinking a bowl of soup will have an effect, but it at least points to a possible pathway.

Third, heating and grease.This is the most practical point, yet the least discussed. Lycopene is locked in the cell matrix of tomatoes; heating breaks down the cell walls, releasing it and simultaneously converting some of the all-trans structure into the more easily absorbed cis structure. Adding a little oil significantly increases the absorption rate. Studies have compared salads with full-fat versus low-fat dressings.The completely oil-free group showed almost no detectable lycopene absorption.Another study used avocado as a source of fat, and the absorption rate increased 4.4 times.

The problem lies in the dosage. The difference becomes apparent when you compare the amount used in the study to a bowl of soup.

ingredient	Quantities used in research	A bowl of miso soup (151 tbsp/1 tbsp/20g miso, half to one tomato)
Lycopene	Commonly used daily doses in human trials: 101 TP1T25 mg	A medium-sized tomato (123 grams) contains approximately 3.2 mg of T; half to one tomato contains approximately 1.61 mg of T and 3.2 mg of T.
β-Conagaglycin	4.41 TP1T5 grams daily for 12 weeks	Roughly calculated at 0.31 TP1T 0.4 grams (based on the protein content of miso and the composition of soy protein).
鈉	—	Approximately 5601 TP1T750 mg, equivalent to 1.41 TP1T1.9 g salt.

The difference is roughly an order of magnitude. This doesn't mean the soup is useless—the lycopene accumulated daily still makes a difference in the overall diet, and it's much harder to overdose in food form than with supplements. But if you expect a "one-bowl cure," you'll be disappointed.It's a side dish, not the main course.

6. "150 grams per day" refers to sugar, not sugar.

In the widely circulated version, the doctor recommended that "daily sugar intake should be limited to 150 grams." A word was omitted in the translation.

The Japanese word for it is "糖质" (sugar), which means...carbohydrate—The sum of starch, sugar, and fiber. 150 grams is a common daily upper limit for sugar-limited diets. It refers to the total amount of rice, noodles, root vegetables, and sugar, not the limit on "sugar".

The two words differ by only one radical in Chinese, but are actually quite different. If you read 150 grams as "you can eat 150 grams of sugar every day," it's like triples the recommendation—the WHO recommends that free sugars be below 10% of total daily calories, which is about 50 grams for 2,000 kcal, and ideally halved to 25 grams; the Department of Health's "Healthy Eating Pyramid" uses the same set of figures, with a daily sugar limit of 50 grams, about ten teaspoons.

Writing style	What does it refer to?	Daily Reference
Carbohydrates (Japanese: 糖质)	The sum of starch, sugar and fiber	It accounts for about half of the total calories, and the number of grams depends on the calorie content; the common range for a sugar-limited diet is 70g/150g.
Free sugars / Added sugars	Sugar, syrup, honey, and fruit juice concentrate added to food	Less than 50 grams, preferably less than 25 grams.
The sugar in fruits and dairy products	It exists naturally and is not a free sugar.	No additional limit is set, but it is included in the total daily carbohydrate intake.

Why is it important to distinguish between them? Because confusion can lead to two completely opposite problems.

One type of person believes that "150 grams of sugar per day is acceptable," so they continue to consume sugary drinks, sweet sauces, and pastries as usual, feeling that they are far from the upper limit. Another type of person includes the natural sugars from fruits and dairy products in the 150-gram limit, resulting in them not daring to eat even an apple, thus reducing their fiber and potassium intake.

The order of operations also stems from this:First reduce added sugar, then adjust the total amount and types of carbohydrates.First, reduce sugar intake, and your sense of taste will gradually return. Then, reduce your rice intake and switch to whole grains so you can eat more. Conversely, if you cut out rice first, you usually won't last more than two weeks.

7. The phrase "jointly boosting adiponectin" should be discounted.

First, let's get adiponectin right. It's secreted by fat cells, and its function is...Improve insulin sensitivity—It promotes the utilization of glucose by muscles and the liver, and inhibits the liver's output of glucose.noHormones that "promote insulin secretion"; what stimulates insulin secretion are blood glucose itself and intestinal hormones. This difference is not a matter of terminology: one is saying "the body is more obedient to insulin," and the other is saying "more insulin is produced," which are completely different directions.

There is evidence to support this view. Human trials involving 4.4 to 5 grams of β-conglycin daily for twelve weeks resulted in decreased triglycerides, reduced visceral fat, and increased serum adiponectin; lycopene also showed increased plasma adiponectin and adipose tissue gene expression in obese rats. These are all true.

However, there is no direct research to support the claim that "eating them together has a synergistic effect." Instead, the results of a human trial are worth noting: Seventy postmenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer followed a tomato-based diet for ten weeks (at least 25 mg of lycopene daily) and a soy-based diet for ten weeks (at least 40 grams of soy protein daily), with a two-week washout period in between. The results were—

• Tomato group: AdiponectinRise 9%(Ratio 1.09, 95% confidence interval 1.00– 1.18)
• Soybean group: Adiponectin9% decreased(Ratio 0.91, 0.84–0.97), the decrease was greater in those with normal weight.

The same group of people, the same laboratory, and two different foods pushed the same indicator in opposite directions. This cannot directly negate the effects of miso soup with tomatoes—the experiment used 40 grams of soy protein daily, not a bowl of miso soup; the dosage difference is significant, and the study subjects were postmenopausal women. However, it is sufficient to illustrate:"Joint efforts multiplying" is currently only a deduction, not a conclusion.。

A more conservative approach would be to say that the tomato pathway has strong support, while the soybean pathway yields inconsistent results, and the combined effect of the two has not been studied. If you like this combination, go ahead and eat it, but don't treat it as a patented formula with synergistic effects.

8. That soybean study refers to natto, not miso.

The support for miso soup often comes from a large-scale follow-up study involving the National Cancer Center of Japan. This study does exist, but its content differs from the versions circulating online in several places.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), covers eleven regions in Japan.92,915 men and women aged 45 to 74The median follow-up was 14.8 years, during which 13,303 deaths were recorded. The results were stratified into three tiers:

• Total soybean intake(Including tofu, soy milk, and soy pulp) and total mortality rateNo significant associationThe risk ratio between the highest and lowest quintiles is 0.98.
• Fermented soy products(Natto and miso) showed an inverse correlation with the overall mortality rate: 0.90 for men (0.83–0.97) and 0.89 for women (0.80–0.98), which is about 10% lower.
• Cardiovascular deathThis item shows a significant correlation, primarily occurring in...NattoCancer deathNo connection。

Three points need correction: the publication date is January 2020, not March 2019; and what benefits were received.Fermented soy productsThis is not a generalization about "soybean products"; and the significant difference in the cardiovascular component mainly comes from natto.Not misoUsing this study to support miso soup is a misattribution.

Another point to clarify: this is an observational study and cannot prove causality. The authors also caution that the association may be influenced by unadjusted confounding factors. A concurrent commentary points out even more directly—When we were collecting dietary data back then, miso soup still had a relatively high salt content.This in itself may be a disruptive factor.

9. The most important thing to pay attention to in a bowl of miso soup is salt.

Miso is salty, but few people have calculated how salty it is. According to the USDA database, 100 grams of miso contains 3,728 milligrams of sodium; a bowl of miso using 15 to 20 grams contains 560 to 750 milligrams of sodium.Equivalent to 1.4 to 1.9 grams of saltReady-to-eat miso soup packets contain even more, about 1.6 to 2.2 grams per packet.

project	鈉	Equivalent to salt	Reaching WHO's daily limit
15 grams of miso (one bowl)	Approximately 560 mg	Approximately 1.4 grams	28%
20 grams of miso (one bowl, quite thick)	Approximately 750 mg	Approximately 1.9 grams	38%
One packet of ready-to-eat miso soup mix	Approximately 640–880 mg	Approximately 1.61 TP1T 2.2 grams	32–44%
One medium-sized tomato (123 grams)	Approximately 6 mg	Nearly zero	—

The WHO recommends that adults consume less than 5 grams of salt per day (approximately 2,000 milligrams of sodium). However, the Department of Health's 2020-2022 Population Health Survey shows...Hong Kong residents consume an average of 8.4 grams of salt per day.That's nearly 70% higher than the limit. Adding a bowl of miso soup every day on top of that is like pushing the excess even higher; two bowls would almost eat up the entire day's limit.

The link between salt and blood pressure is well-known, and the Centre for Food Safety also warns that salted foods can increase the risk of stomach cancer. For someone concerned about their blood sugar...Blood pressure and blood sugar are never two separate things.—If both are elevated, the cardiovascular risk is cumulative.

Another often overlooked factor is potassium. Tomatoes contain 237 mg of potassium per 100 grams, and a medium-sized tomato contains about 290 mg. This is good for most people, but...Patients with chronic kidney disease, especially those on dialysis, need to include potassium in their daily allowance.This soup isn't for "health purposes" for them; it's a meal that requires consulting with a doctor and nutritionist first.

Let me clarify a common misconception: miso is a fermented food, but after being heated and boiled, the number of live bacteria remaining is limited.Drinking miso soup is not a way to supplement probiotics.Its value lies in its ingredients, not in the bacteria.

10. How to cook and drink it

To retain lycopene, the key is the order. Sauté the tomatoes in a little oil for about 30 seconds until they darken in color and start to release their juices, then add the stock—this step simultaneously addresses the two conditions of "heating" and "having oil." Only then add the miso.

Stir the miso just before turning off the heat; do not bring it to a boil over high heat. This will preserve the aroma and prevent it from becoming too salty as it cooks (due to water evaporation and increased salt concentration). The following tips are key to making this soup not just "delicious," but also "smart to drink":

• Reduce misoReduce the amount of umami from 20 grams to 12-15 grams, and use kelp or bonito broth to enhance the flavor. The umami is sufficient, and even with less salt, it's still delicious.
• Thickened ingredients—Mushrooms, seaweed sprouts, onions, tofu. Larger portions mean a more satisfying taste with the same level of saltiness, and they also add fiber.
• Choose low-sodium miso—On the nutrition label on the packaging, look for sodium content, not the words "reduced salt." Some reduced salt products use potassium salt instead, so kidney patients should pay special attention.
• One bowl a day is the limit.—This is the most practical point. Miso soup is not water and cannot be used as a beverage.

As for the amount of tomato, half to one is enough. To further increase lycopene, replacing part of the tomato with two tablespoons of tomato paste is another way besides using fresh tomatoes—the lycopene in concentrated products has a much higher density and is released during heating, making it easier to absorb.

XI. The actual arrangement of three meals a day

Relying solely on a soup to stabilize blood sugar has limited effect. What truly helps control post-meal blood sugar spikes is the overall structure of the meal.

Vegetables first, then protein, and finally starch.Keeping the same food in the same order as a meal can flatten the post-meal blood sugar curve. Vegetable fiber forms a barrier in the intestines, slowing down the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream; protein and fat, on the other hand, delay gastric emptying.

Reduce or replace staple foods.Reduce white rice by one-third and make up for it with an equal volume of vegetables; replace some white rice with brown rice, oats, or beans. The beta-glucan in oats forms a sticky gel that slows down starch breakdown, but note that instant oatmeal and whole oat flakes have different effects; the less processed, the better.

Walk for ten to fifteen minutes after the meal.Muscles can absorb glucose without insulin during exercise, which is the most direct action after a meal. You don't need to walk fast; simply standing up to tidy up or going downstairs to buy something counts.

Sleep and stress.Sleep deprivation and chronic stress can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which in turn cause a rise in fasting blood sugar in the morning. This is often overlooked because it is unrelated to what you eat.

If a test is required, fasting blood glucose plus glycated hemoglobin is the most basic combination; if necessary, the doctor will arrange an oral glucose tolerance test. Testing only fasting blood glucose will miss a group of people who have "normal fasting blood glucose but spike blood glucose after meals"—this is precisely the group that this soup aims to address.

12. When should I see a doctor?

Diet can help, but it cannot replace diagnosis and medication. In the following situations, dietary adjustments and observation should no longer be relied upon.

Condition	Who to look for	reason
Fasting blood glucose 7.0 mmol/L or higher, or glycated hemoglobin 6.51 TP4T or higher.	doctor	The diagnosis has been confirmed as diabetes and requires review and evaluation.
Blood glucose level 11.1 mmol/L or higher two hours after a meal	doctor	Further examination is needed; self-observation is not recommended.
Frequent thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, and blurred vision	Seek medical attention as soon as possible	Typical symptoms of significantly high blood sugar
Slow-healing wounds, numbness or ulcers in the feet	Seek medical attention as soon as possible	Neuropathy and peripheral vascular problems need to be ruled out.
Diagnosed with diabetes and currently taking medication or injecting insulin.	Attending physician	Dietary adjustments must be made in conjunction with medication; self-adjustment carries the risk of hypoglycemia.
Chronic kidney disease, heart failure, currently on dialysis	Doctors and Registered Dietitians	Potassium, sodium, and water limits vary from person to person, so miso soup may not be suitable for everyone.
Symptoms include chest pain, weakness on one side of the body, and slurred speech.	Call 999 immediately	Acute cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events

Conversely, don't treat every instance of elevated blood sugar as bad news. A bowl of porridge or noodles, a cold, or a sleepless night can all cause post-meal blood sugar to be higher than usual. Looking at trends and analyzing glycated hemoglobin levels over two to three months is more helpful than looking at a single number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does adding tomatoes to miso soup really help stabilize post-meal blood sugar?

While the mechanism makes sense, the effects shouldn't be overestimated. There's research on lycopene in tomatoes and soy components in miso individually, but no research on their combined effects; a bowl of soup can provide less than one-tenth of the effective components found in studies. It can be a reasonable dish in a meal—containing vegetables, fermented soybeans, water, and low in calories—but it's not a means of controlling blood sugar. What truly affects post-meal blood sugar is the total carbohydrate intake of the meal, the order in which foods are eaten, and post-meal activity.

Is a postprandial blood glucose level of 140 mg/dL considered high?

140 mg/dL equals 7.8 mmol/L, which is exactly the upper limit of "normal". Below this number is considered normal; between 7.8 and 11.0 indicates impaired glucose tolerance, which is between normal and diabetes; 11.1 or higher requires further evaluation by a doctor. If a single blood test is just off the mark, a repeat test is usually performed, and a conclusion is not drawn immediately. It's important to note the timing of the blood draw—it must be two hours from the first bite of food, not two hours after eating.

Is it too salty to drink miso soup every day?

It depends on what else you eat throughout the day. A bowl of miso soup containing 15 to 20 grams of miso contains about 1.4 to 1.9 grams of salt, which is about 30% of the WHO's daily limit (5 grams). The problem is that Hong Kong people already consume an average of 8.4 grams of salt per day, which is already excessive; adding another bowl on top of that will have a significant impact on blood pressure. A feasible approach is to reduce the amount of miso to 12 to 15 grams, use broth to enhance the flavor, add more toppings, and limit it to one bowl per day. People with high blood pressure or kidney disease should consult a doctor or nutritionist first.

Is it better to eat tomatoes raw or cooked?

It depends on what you want. Raw tomatoes retain their vitamin C intact, have good moisture and taste, making them suitable for eating as fruit. For lycopene absorption, cooking is significantly better—heating breaks down cell walls, releasing lycopene, and the cis structure is also easier to absorb; adding a little oil further increases absorption. You don't have to choose between the two methods: eating them raw for vitamin C, and cooking them in soups, scrambled eggs, or sauces for lycopene.

Can people with high blood pressure or kidney problems drink miso soup?

If you have high blood pressure, the focus should be on total salt intake, not on any single food. If a bowl of miso soup accounts for 30% of your daily salt limit, you should reduce the salt intake of your other two meals accordingly; otherwise, you will still exceed the limit overall. People with poor kidney function should also consider potassium: a medium-sized tomato contains about 290 mg of potassium, and miso itself also contains potassium. Some "low-sodium miso" products use potassium salt instead of sodium salt, which is even less suitable for people who are restricting potassium. In these cases, please consult a doctor or registered dietitian based on your test results, and do not simply follow general advice.

Source of information

• Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, <Non-communicable Diseases in Focus: Overview of Diabetes>:Local prevalence, age distribution, and screening recommendations
• Government Press Release: Department of Health Calls on Citizens to Prevent Diabetes Through Healthy Lifestyles in Response to World Diabetes DayThe prevalence of TP4T is 8.51%, with approximately one in three patients unaware of their condition.
• Chapter 1 of the Health and Medical Bureau's "Hong Kong Diabetes Reference Overview – Nursing Care for Adult Diabetes Patients in Primary Care":One in ten people, approximately 700,000 people, and the prevalence rate based on age.
• Centre for Health Protection's "Non-Communicable Disease News" November 2025 issue:Blood glucose cutoff values for diabetes and prediabetes
• Centre for Food Safety (CFS) announces latest progress on bread salt reduction program:The WHO recommends consuming less than 5 grams of salt per day; Hong Kong residents consume an average of 8.4 grams of salt per day; salted foods and stomach cancer.
• Katagiri R, et al. Association of soy and fermented soy product intake with total and cause specific mortality. BMJ 2020;368:m34：An association between fermented soy products and mortality rate was studied in 92,915 individuals with a 14.8-year follow-up.
• Inoue T, et al. Effect of Lycopene Intake on the Fasting Blood Glucose Level: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2023;15(1):122：Synchronized analysis of lycopene and fasting blood glucose
• Llanos AA, et al. Effects of tomato and soy on serum adipokine concentrations in postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2014:The opposing effects of tomato and soybean diets on adiponectin
• Mohri S, et al. Tomato carotenoids activate the adiponectin signaling pathway. PLoS One 2022;17(6):e0267248：Lycopene and beta-carotene adiponectin signaling at the cellular level
• Gudala K, et al. Diabetes mellitus and risk of dementia: a meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. J Diabetes Investig 2013;4(6):640–650：Risk ratio of 28 prospective studies
• USDA FoodData Central:Sodium and protein content of miso、Lycopene and potassium content of raw tomatoes

Further Reading

• A Comprehensive Analysis of Tomato Nutrition: The Actual Benefits and Serving Size of One Tomato a Day
• What are oats? What are the actual effects of beta-glucan, cholesterol reduction, and glycemic index (GI)?
• Mangosteen and Xanthones: The Value of the Peel, the Amount of the Pulp, and the Reality of Blood Sugar Management
• Waist circumference and metabolic syndrome: Why waist circumference is a better indicator of risk than weight

Health Declaration:This article is a compilation of health information and does not constitute medical advice, nor can it replace a doctor's diagnosis and prescription. Blood glucose interpretation must be based on symptoms, repeated testing, and other laboratory results; a single figure is insufficient for drawing conclusions. Those diagnosed with diabetes, taking medication, or injecting insulin should consult with their attending physician or registered dietitian before making any dietary adjustments. For individuals with high blood pressure, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, or those undergoing dialysis, sodium and potassium limits vary from person to person; miso soup may not be suitable. Please follow your healthcare provider's instructions. If you experience chest pain, weakness on one side of your body, slurred speech, or other symptoms, please call 999 immediately.

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