Miso

Miso is a common spice in Japanese cooking. Soybeans are fermented with salt and koji, a kind of fungus. Koji contains digestive enzymes such as lactases, lipases, proteases, and amylases. That is one reason why miso may help digestion and absorption.

Indeed, studies have shown that the bacteria in miso help alleviate symptoms associated with digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBD). Furthermore, fermenting soybeans improves their nutritional quality by lowering antinutrient content. Antinutrients are naturally occurring substances in meals that can obstruct nutrient absorption by binding to them.