6 Reasons Japanese Women Stay Slim and Don’t Look Old

2. Consuming Fermented Foods

Japanese people often eat fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh and kimchi.

Fermented foods are those that have been through a process of lacto fermentation. In this process, natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food and create lactic acid. Fermentation preserves the natural nutrients in food and creates beneficial enzymes, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and various strains of probiotics.

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A 2014 study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology reports there is a connection between fermented dairy products and the growth of beneficial intestinal microbes.

The study also noted the importance of findings that non-dairy fermented foods and herbs can have a positive influence on intestinal microbiota, as there may be an influence on longer-term gut-brain communication.