Medicine doesn’t always come in a pill. In fact some of the most powerful medicines are delicious and can be found at your local supermarket or “farmacy.” Healing foods have been used for centuries in Asia as part of the cuisine. In Asia food and medicine are often the same thing.
Here are five foods you may never have heard of but can be found at most Asian markets and even places like Whole Foods. Try them. You might be surprised by their unique and extraordinary good taste. And they may help you lose weight, reverse diabetes, lower cholesterol and prevent cancer.
Konjac: The Asian Super Fiber
Long used to make konnyaku, a jelly prepared in Japan for over 1500 years whose medicinal properties were appreciated as early as the 6th century, konjac fiber or glucomannan has multiple benefits. Konjac is much more viscous than usual fibers, retaining up to 17 times its weight in water.
Expanding in the stomach and the small and large intestine, it absorbs fat, accelerates elimination, reduces cholesterol, blunts sugar absorption and facilitates weight loss, in part by increasing feelings of satiety. You have it as jelly or noodles called shirataki.
Arame: A Wonder of the Sea
Arame is a marine brown algae, or sea vegetable, that can be added to soups, stir fries or even made into a sea vegetable salad. It is rich in minerals calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, folate, vitamins A & K, and iodine. It also boosts immunity and helps bind toxins in your body. Some even say it helps boost sex drive.
Shitake Mushrooms: Healing from the Earth
The earthy shitake or Chinese black mushrooms boost immunity through special polysaccharide molecules and can help prevent cancer. They are also full of minerals, especially iron, and they appear to decrease binding of immune cells to your arterial wall preventing atherosclerosis. Aside from exposure to the sun and eating herring, mushrooms are one of the few ways you can get vitamin D. Think of them as the sunshine food.
Daikon: The Other White Meat
Daikon is a mildly flavored large East Asian white radish. It looks like a giant white carrot. It contains digestive enzymes that help you break down food, and they contain myrosinase that boosts detoxification of environmental chemicals. Daikon is high in vitamin C and folate. Like its relatives broccoli, cabbage and kale, daikon is a cruciferous vegetable that offers cancer-protecting potential. It can be grated and eaten raw in salads, in stir-frys or in soups.
Umeboshi Plums: A New Kind of Pickle
These red little Japanese plums add a perky taste to stir fries and soups. Besides their scintillating flavor, Japanese pickled plums have remarkable medicinal qualities. Their acidity has a paradoxical alkalinizing effect on the body, helping with fatigue, enhancing digestion, and boosting the elimination of toxins. This is the Far Eastern equivalent to both aspirin and apples; it is a great hangover remedy for mornings after; and an umeboshi a day is considered one of the best preventive medicines around.
To learn more about the power of food as medicine, see www.drhyman.com.
Now I’d like to hear from you …
What are your favorite super foods?
Have you eaten any of the super foods discussed in this article? What do you think of them?
How have you used food as medicine recently?
Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
Appears that asians (Japanese?) got it right. What are their statistics regarding cancers and other diseases? What about spirulina and turmeric?
Hi Arianna, we do not have those statistics.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Umeboshi is good, but it has a lot of salt. Beware the ones with MSG and other chemicals. It should only be flavored with seasalt for the pickle part.
I discovered Umeboshi plums about a year ago and have enjoyed them since. I had read about their medicinal properties and can confirm that since I’ve started eating them I have better digestion and no more migraines.
Very grateful for your posts. Consider myself highly educated in foods/health, yet I have never heard of, let alone eaten, any of the recommended foods. Will be doing so as soon as they are located.
In case you are oneday stuck for a topic, I would be interested in your take on the Paleo Diet. Like Communism and Republicanism, the Paleo Diet has a number of primary and secondary subforms; Kurt Harris MD (archevore.com) J. Stanton (gnolls.org) and Davis MD (wheatbellyblog.com) are three excellent sources.
I own all of your books. Thank you for your advocacy.
I love the flavour of shitake mushrooms – much nicer than your ordinary field mushrooms. When living in China we ate daikon a lot but since coming home I forgot how to prepare it so haven’t eaten it much. Also enjoy arame along with a few other sea vegetables. Konjac and the plums I have not heard of but will endeavour to hunt them down. I have a feeling my local fruit and vegie shop will sell them, cheers!
This is such great information, would love some recipes for some of these foods please?
Hi Robin, you might try your local bookstore for a cookbook on Asian Foods.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Bok Choy is one of our favorite Asian super foods! It is a nutritional powerhouse, plus very versatile and tasty. Toss it in any stir-fry or soup. Yum!
I use umeboshi vinegar in my soups and in a tahini dressing that I drizzle on top of my greens. It is delicious and full of flavor. Some of the foods you listed I am not as familiar with but will now give a try.
Hey there Mark,
Thanks for the post! I have been a fan of you ever since I tried Detox in a Box for the first time 5 years ago.
When you’re talking seaweed, arame is good but I think it’s KELP that is the biggest seaweed superfood, with by far the highest mineral levels.
Also surprised you didn’t mention miso and tempeh which because of the way they are made cancel out the phytoestrogen effect which can be unsafe for women in quantity. Tempeh is also the ultimate low carb diet food, with 20g protein and 12g fiber per serving. I love the texture and even think it tastes great cold and raw! But most would prefer it dressed up somehow; browned in strips in toasted sesame oil.
I didn’t know about the psyllium husk-like absorptive aspect of shirataki, that is good to know. Have long been a lover of daikon (also good for cellulite, they say) and umeboshi plums (also a hangover remedy)!
Daikon is a very nice radish. And a good keeper in the frig. Have thrown it, cut up, into stir fries as well as, raw, in salads. Not very expensive, it is a good veggie to get organically grown.
Arame? As a seaweed, do we know what radiation it has picked up since the Japanese Nuclear explosion this year? We know how the oceans have been polluted with radiation.
Have never tried the shirataki noodles but think I will now that I am more conscious of their benefits.
I recently started taking Konjac capsules hope they help my cholesterol and i have noticed the improvement in elimination….thus feeling better less bloating. I think it does also help me to feel fuller and not always so hungry…Thanks for all your helpful hints will try some of the other suggestions….
Tried all of these and LOVE the medicinal qualities in many Asian foods. Konjac is underutilized in Western cultures, but, as you described, had awesome fiberous qualities. All the seaweeds and sea vegetables deserve perhaps a separate article unto themselves. I use dulse, wakame, hijiki, konbu and nori in many preparations. Shiitake are SO earthy, right up there with the infinitely more expensive chantrelles and porcini. And can actually taste like faux meat if properly seasoned and pan seared in a little olive oil. Daikon adds zing and crunch to any slaw, salad or stirfry, as you indicated. But my favorite is that little umeboshi plum, also available as a paste for spreading. Probably had my first experience with sushi over 35 years ago, but of all the wonderful flavors and textures of the fish, rice, nori and vegetables, the most exotic was the umeboshi wrapped in a shiso leaf (member of the perilla family) in a nori roll. Exquisite! Couldn’t stop eating them! Keep up all the great work, Dr. Hyman. I have your books, getyour newsletters and am a member of your beta test group for the Blood Sugar solution, two weeks in, doing well, eating right and feeling great! Thank you for helping us.
Cranberries and cranberry juice (pure organic, not the cocktail), for urinary tract infection. Also softgels daily as preventive.
YES, it DOES work!
I use umeboshi plum paste as a tea for an electrolyte drink, often with a bit of local raw honey, when sick. yummy!
I love your articles about food being our medicine. I use all sorts of mushrooms including shitake so they’re part of my grocery list every week. I also consider chlorella and spirulina as foodfoods so they are part of my shake every morning. Should I be worried about using a lot of cruciferous vegetables like daikon, etc.? I have been dealing with subclinical hypothyroid the past couple of years, and even though it’s resoving, I’m leery of depressing it again. I’m aware that eating these vegetables raw can depress the thyroid so I avoid eating them that way. How long do they have to be cooked before they’re considered OK to eat for people with hypothyroid problems, and does cooking strip them of their benefits?
Hi Tina,
With subclinical thryroid you actually want to support the thyroid with these nutrients. Check out this article for more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_yBWWHClxo
A light steam will do most of the time. Bring the water to boil, put your veggies in your steamer, turn off the heat and let the steaming do its thing. This is a gentle approach so you reap the benfits without compromising too much of the nutrient quality!
In good health!
–as i live in a city with many asians, i see these foods around, but i have no idea how to prepare them—please can you do a newsletter or part of one with recipes, or how to ideas. shitake mushrooms here are the mushroom of choice, and they are so flavorful. i have used them to replace meat in some dishes–as well as portabello mushrooms. thanks for this conciousness raising newsletter,–it’s working !!!
I regularly have all of the superfoods mentioned except the konjac and it is on my list. I like all of the seaweeds- not just arame – and have them at at least a couple of times a week. My wife likes the pressed pickles I make with the daikon. My favorite of them all is the umeboshi. I have one or two a day and also use the umeboshi vinegar on some foods.
I was so pleased to see this article. Yes I have used many of the above listed Asian Superfoods – I use the shirataki noodles in soups and stir-fries. They are a god send. And the Umeboshi plum (or the concentrated extract) in a tea first thing in the morning to alkalize my system. The shitake mushrooms and daikon are a staple in my kitchen. I have not used arame – but have used many other sea vegetables. I am going to take your suggestion and try to incorporate it in my diet.
Thanks for all your good work.
Thanks so much for all your informative news articles. I will enjoy going to my local Japanese food market to try out nature’s healers as described here. Interesting article.
I love this article and always apprciate Dr. Hyman’s words of wisdom. However, Americans would do well just to sit down and eat a full dinner every night, let alone a dinner with lots of exotic vegetables. Since I made it a rule in my home eight years ago when confronted with a chronic illness that we’d eat a full dinner at the table each night, our lives and our health changed a great deal. This rule does demand more attention to cooking each night, but that work is “good work” and has a wide range of benefits in our lives. For one, it assures we have good lunches all of the time. It also provides a place for regular communication. I’ve become quite the cook and now make all kinds of wonderful dishes. It also inspired us to grow our own food. We now both grow and make our own food. We harvested a large crop of red cabbage this year. Having just read an article about the wonderful bacteria and nutrition in sauerkraut, I took that on as this year’s project. It was very satisfying and we now have lots of quarts of red sauerkraut in our cellar. We ate our first batch last week. It was wonderful. Bon appetite!
Hello Dr. Hyman, What is your concern with radiation in these Asian Super Foods you recommend. Also, what can you share about Black Mica and products made from it i.e. Adya Clarity that claim to reduce or eliminate radiation and impurities in water.
Hi Norm, you should always be aware of where your food is sourced to ensure it is as healthy for you as possible. We have no information on Black Mica.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I have been eating all of the 5 asian foods mentioned above – amazingly! Some of my latest superfoods are chilis and indian spices.
To Holly, I’d like to say – great that you experienced changes by eating a full dinner, but imagine what changes you’d experience if you ate like the japanese – a full meal for breakfast, a good lunch and a modest dinner… This is in line with the cyrcadian rythm of our bodies
Our soon to be tested (in 2 double blind, placebo, peer reviewed clinical trials) Kherb Appeal, a “Snack Replacement”, uses fiber from Konjac root instead of starch to make a tasty instant pudding. I think it will find its way into many functional foods. I can tell you (anecdotally) from the taste tests we’ve performed @ work, Konjac root fiber seems to be a powerful tool in creating satiety. I didn’t realize that some part of the plant was being sold at grocery stores. I’m going to check that out, and see how it can be prepared to be added to a meal. Thanks for sharing.
For me earth’s great healing foods are all the fruit and veggies and herbs and spices that exist. Many of the properties of many fruit and veggies have not yet been discovered, but in my opinion everything that grows on earth and is edible has something to give, it’s meant to support life on earth. I love to juice veggies in the morning and I make sure to add kale, zuchinnis, cucumbers, peppers, fennel, celeri, carrots, parsley and other herbs. I eat all of the 5 asian foods, not on a regular basis, but whenever I have a chance, I add these foods to my diet. Thank you very much Dr Hyman for reminding us the great value of mother nature’s food, we tend to forget that we have access to great health by putting the right foods in our refrigerators and by eating them regularily. Thanks again:)
My very favorite is to nip a bit of daikon radish in the pickled form. It is called Takuan where they semi-dri daikon and pickle it in salt and rice bran for B vitamins. I bought them at the health food store Asian section. I hope someday my neighbors will see a clothes line row of daikon I grew myself!
Thanks for this Doc. A lovely invite into your site and your energy. We have been healing with food for some time now. Always more to know.
Yours,
Maryann
http://shizuokagourmet.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/takuanjapanese-pickled-daikon-basic-recipe/
What would be a typical Japanese big breakfast?
Hi Sue,
Usually it would have some miso soup with tofu (not much!) sea vegetables, pickled vegetables, fermented fish, steamed brown rice and maybe some steamed edamame and tea. It is a beautiful balance of quality lean proteins, complex carbohydrate, nutrient dense vegetables and tea without all the sugar, fat and excess caloric intake many Americans take in for breakfast. And, it is breakfast unlike many people who skip this meal! Take it slow and make it full of quality!
In good health!
Shitake mushrooms are a main ingredient in my home, as is the sea veggies & dakion radish. I have even grated the dakion radish in salads. I do need to give the plums a try. Now that I am alone & only cook for myself [age 77], I try a lot more things. Love the macrobiotic diet. I grow a lot of the Asian things like lemon grass, ginger, Asian or yard long beans, just to name a few. Don’t have much space to grow things but a little at a time.
For a few years i was advised by my nutritionist to stir a teaspoon of ume plum paste in hot water as a tea every morning upon arising…had severe MS-like symptoms at the time. Along with a strict macrobiotic diet saw great results! Takes a little getting used to, very salty flavor, but got used to it very quickly. I’ll try anything to feel better! Thanks Dr. Hyman and team!
As a recently diagnosed diabetic (II) I’ve been using konjac for more than a year (in supplement form) and have been amazed at how it can lower my blood sugar readings. The fiber is an added bonus.
This is especially refreshing during the heat of summer. My digestion improved, too.
Another favorite, this one for increased energy and alertness–plus an overall sense of well-being, is a hot drink product, that has organic cordyceps, reishi and dark cocoa in it. It’s unsweetened, and you can mix it with your choice of beverage-I use unsweetened almond milk. (It is bitter without sweetener, but just a half teaspoon of raw honey can “even” that out.) I was given a free sample and now keep it in my cupboard for times I want to treat myself to something healthy and delicious or when I will be driving and want to make sure I am alert. (I have sleep apnea–neither pills nor multiple cups of caffeinated coffee appeal to me.)
I used to make enough extra juice (organic fruits & veggies, plus ginger root, maca and/or other goodies) so I could freeze some–I’d take it to work and it would gradually thaw. I’d sip on it throughout the afternoon, when my energy began to wane. To keep the bottle from ‘sweating’ and dripping on my desk, I’d slide a brand new sock over the bottom of the bottle. Works perfectly! Just don’t use an old gym sock or you will get funny looks from coworkers.
The things mentioned in the article are on my next grocery list–I like to find natural ways to heal and feel my best. Thank you, Dr. Hyman!
the asian foods listed, are these food from Japan? if so, as good as these food are for people, is there a danger of radiation from Fukushima?
Hi Liz,
When you know where your food was grown, you can be assured it is healthy for you.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I ate macrobiotically for ten years after being diagnosed with breast cancer so I am aware of the benefits of these foods. After reading your article and comments received, I find myself looking forward to change and incorporate more of the foods in my diet. I am now 76 and remember the wonderful energy, hair, nails, skin and digestive health that I enjoyed. My CEA blood test was always at a good level and I felt great, never missing sugar & coffee all the things that are not good for us…Thanks for these articles and reminders on how we should keep ourselves healthy.
Please post!
Regularly have all of these except for the umeboshi plums. I’ve never tried those. One of our favorite super foods is chia. It helps lower blood pressure, and blood sugar. It’s a great source of protein, magnesium, calcium, and omega 3. It can be eaten raw, or cooked, and when the seeds are left whole it has a very long shelf life. We sprinkle them on salads, and make chia gel to use in place of oils when baking.
One of my favorite ‘foods as medicine’ is chicken soup when I have a cold or flu. I haven’t had those problems in some time, but chicken soup is delicious anyway, especially with a bit of chopped spinach, Parmesan cheese and 1/2 Cup of frozen peas.
Also, I like to boost my HDLs by adding a teaspoon of cocoa powder to a low-calorie cup of hot chocolate made with hot chocolate mix. I add a bit more water than is specified in the instructions, as the hot chocolate mixes are always too sweet. Chocolate does raise HDLs.
Two questions:
One: In a recentg article you suggest we take a good daily multi vitiamin. However, every single multivitamin I have ever ingested has consistently given me a bad case of diarrhea within two hours of ingestion. The diarrhea soon ceases as long as I don’t ingest more vitamin pils. Any ideas on what kinds of vitamins will digest for me and won’t get my stomach so sick?
Two: I have developed the itchy-est skin disease 3 years ago, similar to psoriasis/excema. Dermatologists can’t figure out what it is or how to treat it. Consequently, I use blue-ray light therapy, cortisone and other bad stuff to try to control it. I am 71 yrs. old. What in my diet needs to change? Thanks you. You are a God-send!