A four year study of elderly Japanese men and women with normal blood pressure, conducted by the School of Medicine, Showa University, showed that two bowls of miso soup a day can prevent the development of high blood pressure. Another thirteen year study of a large population of Japanese men and women showed that those who abstained from miso soup had a death rate from high blood pressure three and a half times higher than miso soup drinkers!

Scientists know that certain minerals, particularly potassium, calcium, and magnesium, play an important role in the regulation of blood pressure. Miso is high in potassium and miso is known to facilitate the absorption of calcium and magnesium. Other studies have credited the daily use of miso with reduced risk of stroke, which is often associated with high blood pressure.