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Q. For over two decades a friend has been plagued with daily diarrhea that may have been caused by years of chronic antibiotic use. Doctors eliminated Crohn’s and celiac disease as the cause. They suggested a fungal infection might be the source but were never able to cure it.
Every year when in Japan on a business trip, he was not bothered by diarrhea. This year it occurred to him that perhaps the difference was the miso (fermented soy) soup he always consumed at least twice a day in Japan.
On his return to the States, he purchased miso soup paste, and has consumed miso soup at least once each day. To his delight, the terrible diarrhea has not come back. Has anyone else reported a similar result?
A. Miso is a fermented soybean paste that is used as the basis for one of Japan’s most popular soups. Although we could find no research showing that miso soup counteracts diarrhea, the probiotic effect might help normalize gastrointestinal function. We’d be interested in hearing from others who have experience with this remedy.
Jon A
QLD, Australia.
I love miso, make it from scratch (packet mixes taste awful). Only issue is the explosive diahorrea is gives me. If you don’t boil the miso the probiotic benefits remain, but in my case it just carpet bombs my intestines.
PG
I am sensitive to soy and lentils but seem to do ok with soy sauce and miso. I cured a bout of Ibs with organic sauerkraut. I ate about a quarter cup a day for a few days and then was fine. Regular yogurt helps too but Greek style unfortunately makes things worse.
ELG
I would love to try this miso soup remedy for my chronic diarrhea, but I cannot tolerate soy. I am wondering if I tried this, would it cause problems but make it better in the long run. Or, should I avoid this miso soup all together. Any ideas?
Shuji Sugawara
Miso is fermented soy beans using koji ” Aspergillus oryzae” which is filamentous fungus. koji is used to make miso, soy sauce and sake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_oryzae
Rebecca
I am sensitive to soy as well (very nasty effects!), but find that clear soup and miso soup don’t bother me. They actually make me feel better. I’m wondering if it may be the way it is processed that let’s me tolerate it.
Frank N. Trovato, MD
A remedy I recall from alternative medicine lectures, actually is an Indian method for intractable diarrhea, but has some obvious limits, it is: several Oz, about 8, whole milk, 2 tbs. ground flaxseed and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg well mixed and drunk, likely after a loose stool. Caution for those with lactase deficiency.
mk
I too had diarrhea for about a year and a half. I could not come up with any remedy except that if I avoided pork and red meat, things were better. That was no problem
However, when I went to Japan two different times a year apart, I did not have the problem. I did not eat Miso soup every day, but I am sure Miso was in most of the food I did eat. So maybe that is what helped. I’ve always wondered. I now eat a lot of Asian foods in the US and maybe helps as well.
Ruth Ann
For several years, I have suffered with frequent bouts of diarrhea to the point that I was never without Immodium. I tried all of the suggested home remedies (coconut cookies, etc). Then I read somewhere that tea made from fennel seeds was was good for digestion. I crushed the seeds and brewed them in hot water. I drank this at noon and again in the evening. For the next couple of days, I thought this was a terrible mistake as it seemed to make everything worse, but then my movements returned to normal. It has been four months and am happy to say, I have not had diarrhea since.
ebm
TA, Whole Foods has a lower sodium Miso in powder form. It comes in a flat 1″ box with four or five envelopes. Has green onions, etc in it.
If you avoid all salt, where do you get your iodine??? My friend takes BP meds and never salts anything and seldom feels good. EXCEPT when we eat at a Chinese Buffet, she feels great. I wake up with a bad head/neckache and the runs. Maybe she needs the salt.
CP
I have had personal experience on occasion where this malady has occurred caused by eating foods that don’t agree with me for whatever reason.
I discovered that drinking or eating something sweetened seems to make the problem worse. However, drinking chicken or beef broth mixed with a little rice & consuming dry crackers such as Triscuits seems to help immensely. I came to only one conclusion that it must be the salt in these foods & beverages that helped me feel better within a couple of days.
I believe the miso soup however, would not be a wise choice for those that might need to be on a low sodium diet.
dB
My cupboard is littered with experiments tried to correct my IBS. That situation has existed for roughly 25 years. Since my food does not completely digest I see the evidence and try eliminating foods that cause a problem. This has created yet another problem over time. My list of sensitivities has grown so long I believe my diet is now less than balanced. No sugar, salt, dairy, gluten, high carbohydrate foods, high acid foods and more. I will want to try the miso even though I became aware of the very high salt content when I last enjoyed it. Perhaps the brands vary in sodium. I hope so.
ladyliza
I have also suffered with constipation/diarrhea for several years. I have found that pysillium husk from Trader Joe’s works to normalize my gi track. There are still abnormalities occasionally but for the most part I am good now.
Penny H.
Different remedy, same results
Last summer I was having a similar problem, daily diarrhea episodes.
My doctor scheduled me for a colonoscopy but couldn’t do it for six weeks. I was pretty miserable so started eating a childhood comfort food of honey on Ritz Crackers. The diarrhea stopped. Then I read that raw honey could balance out gut bacteria. When I went in for the colonoscopy the doctor pooh-poohed the idea. The colonoscopy showed nothing wrong and the doctor asked me how much honey I was using so he could recommend it to other patients (about 2 teaspoons a day).
So, in case you can’t get Miso, don’t like it or can’t tolerate the salt – try honey.
TA
Is miso a no-no for salt restricted diets? I love it but have held myself back from preparing it. Also can someone tell me please what the difference is between Miso, green miso and red miso nutritionally?
Peoples’s Pharmacy response: Miso is in fact quite high in sodium.
Mary
If I get a UTI, the first thing I would take is d-mannose. It is a simple sugar so even diabetics can take it. It is available in powder & capsules.
If the UTI is caused by e.coli, chances are it will clear quickly. I have read that most are, so why take a chance on an antibiotic?
It may also stop e.coli caused diarrhea.
FN
I nearly died from c-diff which I contracted due to years of antibiotic use due to recurrent UTIs. I was unaware of my risk for c-diff, or even of c-diff itself. I believe the public needs to become familiar with c-diff. Can you please help educate us? Thank you for all you do for us.
Ruth C.
Interesting. Love miso soup. Might this work for Irritable bowel syndrome with its alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea? I am either very constipated, a few times needing laxatives and once a digital extraction, and then having up to 9 episodes of mushy stool. Stool softeners often work on the constipation but have qualms about stopping the diarrhea, not wanting to go the other way again.
It would be interesting to see if the miso and the possible probiotic effect would help with these problems.
Thanks.
NL
It could be the base the miso is added to. I have heard that bone stock, in particular that from chicken feet is healing for the GI tract.