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Are you looking for natural and very beneficial foods? And does the word umeboshi sound familiar to you? If not, or you have heard very little about this term, watch out for the following: umeboshi or japanese plum It is a natural food that gives us great benefits to maintain good health.
If you like to opt for the natural, healthy food and learn about food from other places, stay in this Green Ecologist article in which we reveal everything about the Umeboshi plum, its properties, benefits, how to take it and contraindications. Also pay attention to the quantity or dosage recommendations for this Japanese plum. You will be surprised by all the good it can offer you!
What is umeboshi or Japanese plum
Umeboshi means "dried plum" in Japanese and is the ume pickle (the Japanese plum). It is a plum that is harvested before it fully ripens and is left to dry in the sun. When the dried plum has already been obtained, it is then fermented with salt and leaves shiso (Perilla frutescens), a plant that is called that in Japanese but has different names in other places (in Korea it is called deulkkae, in India silam and in Spain and Latin America Japanese basil). These leaves, rich in iron, provide this and more minerals to the final dish and, in addition, they stain the plum, giving it its most characteristic color.
The umeboshi fermentation it can last a minimum of 6 months and up to 7 years. At the end of this process, some smaller, wrinkled, pink or brown plums remain with a very characteristic flavor: acid and salty.
In Japan and other parts of Asia, this dried Japanese plum is consumed as a medicinal food, both to prevent health problems and to improve some conditions. Therefore, umebsohi is consumed regularly in these eastern regions.
Properties of the Japanese plum or umeboshi
It contains more of some minerals than other fruits, such as iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium, as well as more protein and is an alkaline food. Thanks to this, these are the main properties of the umeboshi plum:
- Antioxidant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Alkaline
- Disinfectant
- Antibacterial
- Antifungal
- Remineralizing
- Moisturizing
- Digestive
- Soothing and analgesic
- Immune system booster
- Hypotensive
Umeboshi plum benefits
Taking into account the vision of health in these eastern regions, the umeboshi plum has two aspects that are very useful to balance the body, since it is composed of acid and salty. According to traditional medicine, on the one hand, the most acidic part of this food helps neutralize excess yang (which is given by consuming eggs, meats and salt in excess) and, on the other hand, the saltiest part help to neutralize excess yin (which is produced by taking too much food such as coffee, alcohol, sugars and dairy), thus allowing the body to rebalance itself.
Main benefits of the Japanese plum
- Break down excess lactic acid: During the fermentation of this fruit, more citric acid is produced as a result of the process. Citric acid helps the body to break down lactic acid, which when found in high levels in our body is responsible for fatigue.
- Regulates intestinal disorders: Like prunes in general, it provides fibers and mucilage that help balance stomach and intestinal problems, such as constipation, mild diarrhea, heartburn, etc.
- Work up your appetite: Linked with its power to improve gastrointestinal conditions, we find that this fruit is also excellent for stimulating the appetite and facilitating digestion. This is mainly due to its citric acid content, which helps stimulate the production of gastric juices.
- Prevents bad breath: Thanks to citric acid and its properties as a natural disinfectant, it is also a food that facilitates oral hygiene and good stomach health, thus helping to avoid bad breath.
- Helps stop infections: Thanks to the fact that it is a natural disinfectant, with antibacterial and antifungal properties, this fruit helps fight bacterial and fungal infections and prevent them.
- Facilitates cholesterol regulation: Thanks to its composition in acids and minerals, it stimulates the functioning of important organs in this function, such as the liver.
- Improves colds and relieves coughs: As it is a disinfectant, stimulates the immune system and is alkaline, among other good properties for the respiratory system, this fruit is used to recover before conditions such as colds, colds, flu and annoying symptoms such as coughs.
- Avoid fatigue and eliminate hangovers: Due to its remineralizing and moisturizing properties, this fruit helps the body to recover sooner after great effort or even to avoid or reduce the onset of fatigue, because among other aspects, as we have indicated, it breaks down lactic acid. However, in such a case, it must be remembered that it is vital to drink plenty of water.
- Detoxifies the body: Thanks to its alkaline effect, the Japanese plum helps to detoxify the body by facilitating the expulsion of toxins and other waste.
- Prevents premature aging: This plum contains antioxidants that, by eliminating free radicals and their cellular oxidation effect, slow down accelerated or premature aging of cells throughout the body.
- Lower blood pressure: Due to its high potassium content, it can help reduce hypertension, that is, lower blood pressure.
Of course, to notice these great health benefits you have to have a healthy life styleIt is useless to eat foods with excellent properties from time to time but to eat poorly in general.
Umeboshi plum: recommended doses
The recommended dose for the consumption of Japanese plum or umeboshi is not exact. The truth is that the right amount it depends on each person, that is to say, of the state of health of each one. Therefore, it is advisable both to discuss it with a doctor and to observe our own body when consuming it.
It is a very healthy food, but as with everything, excess is not beneficial. For this, there are those who take this plum up to 3 or 4 times a week, which may be considered a maximum dose to avoid consuming an excess, and those who take one a week.
How to take Japanese plum or umeboshi
Umeboshi plum can be taken in many different ways:
- Mixed with kuzu: Kuzu is the starch from the root of the plant of the same name (Pueraria montana var. lobata). This mixture is widely used in traditional medicine and, sometimes, soy is also added. The result is a drink called Ume Sho Kuzu.
- In dressings: This plum is left in a pot filled with vinegar or oil, as preferred, although it is more common in vinegar, to use the dressing in salads and vegetable dishes.
- Umeboshi vinegar: As we have indicated, it is used in dressings and it is more common to prepare it with vinegar. But, in addition, this can be purchased already prepared with and without the plum inside. If you like vinegars for dressings that are very beneficial for your health, we recommend you also try apple cider vinegar. Here you can know the Properties of organic apple cider vinegar.
- Dissolved in water: A little of this ground or powdered food, dissolved in warm water and taken in the morning is an excellent remedy for when we want to improve conditions, especially respiratory and digestive, or to take regularly as support to maintain a good state of Health.
- Mixed in vegetables and cereals: it is very common to find it in dishes as part of the garnish. For example, it is sometimes included in the famous onigiri (triangle of rice with seaweed), in some types of sushi and in dishes such as salads and soups.
- Whole: One of the most common ways to eat this food is to consume the whole Japanese plum directly, as a snack, since it is shaped like a ball that fits well in the mouth.
- Umeboshi tea: This fruit is also boiled in water for half an hour, to drink the resulting hot tea. If you like teas, we recommend you know well the Properties of organic green tea, another healthy food from Asia.
Contraindications of umeboshi
Although umeboshi is a pickled fruit very rich in nutrients that provide great benefits and, therefore, widely used to improve health, like any other food, it is not exempt from contraindicated cases. The main contraindications of umeboshi are:
- It is not advisable to offer it to children under 10 years of age.
- It is not recommended to take it during pregnancy and lactation.
- In case of taking medications to lower blood pressure due to hypertension, it is not advisable to take this fruit, since it has precisely the effect of lowering blood pressure and could be an excessive effect causing the opposite effect to the basic problem, that is, hypotension or a drop in voltage.
- If you have a stomach ulcer.
In all these cases, you could take this fruit if the doctor This is indicated and carefully regulated by its administration.
If you want to read more articles similar to Japanese umeboshi plum: properties, benefits, how to take it and contraindicationsWe recommend that you enter our Healthy Eating category.
