Koso (drink)

Koso, known in Japan as Koso drink (酵素ドリンク, kōso dorinku) is a Japanese fermented drink made by fermenting raw ingredients such as fruits and vegetables. The fermentation process produces enzymes due to the bacteria and microorganisms mixed with the ingredients. "Koso" means "enzyme" in Japanese,[1][2] but Koso drink is also often simply referred to as Koso.[3]

History

Koso originated in Japan some 100 years ago.[4] It was utilized as a nutritional supplement for hardworking and under nourished individuals. Today, the drink is commonly used as a probiotic and has numerous nutritional and digestive health benefits.[5][2]

Manufacturing

Vegetables and fruits are mixed with sugar and fermented for several weeks or years by the enzymes contained in the ingredients and produced by yeast and lactic acid bacteria.

Effects

Koso is known to be good for health, primarily used for nutritional and digestive assistance. The nutrients of the drink are easily absorbed due to microorganisms decomposing it during the digestion process. Then, the digestive enzymes and microorganisms create vitamins and bioactive materials that are not present in the original food. Koso also contains nutrients that feed microbes of the gut flora[6][7] that are beneficial to the human body and enterobacteria and maintain a healthy intestinal environment.[8]

A 2003 study conducted by Okayama Prefectural University found that microbial fermentation makes it easier for plant-derived components in enzyme drinks to be digested and absorbed as nutrients.[7]

A 2016 article in the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis found that fermented plant extract beverages such as Koso work well to combat hypercholesterolemia[9]

In 2018, a study at Fukuoka Institute of Technology was conducted on enzyme drinks.[8]

See also

References
  1. The koso concept – botanical nutrients and enzymes found in fermented fruit and vegetables and raw plants
  2. What is Koso？ - R's KOSO -
  3. KOSO — Chef Kenji's seasonal fermented fruit drink
  4. "【今だから言える！？ 酵素ドリンクのウソ・ホント】【ビューティニュース】｜美容メディアVOCE（ヴォーチェ）". 美容メディア『VOCE』公式サイト (in Japanese). 2018-04-06. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
  5. "吉岡美穂もスタイルキープに役立てる女性にブームの"酵素"って!? ｜ウォーカープラス". ウォーカープラス（Walkerplus） (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-01-26.
  6. "What is Koso? History & Benefits". R's KOSO. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  7. 伸佳, 中島; 信輔, 桑木; 浩二, 石原; 英彦, 田中 (March 12, 2013). "乳酸菌・酵母により発行熟成させた「植物発酵エキス」の有効性に関する研究". 岡山県立大学保健福祉学部紀要. 19: 39–48 – via oka-pu.repo.nii.ac.jp.
  8. "いわゆる「酵素食品」の有用性評価: Fukuoka Institute of Technology Repository". repository.lib.fit.ac.jp.
  9. Chiu, H.; Chen, Yen-Jung; Lu, Yan-Ying; Han, Yi-Chun; Shen, You-Cheng; Venkatakrishnan, K.; Wang, Chin-Kun (2017). "Regulatory efficacy of fermented plant extract on the intestinal microflora and lipid profile in mildly hypercholesterolemic individuals". Journal of Food and Drug Analysis. 25 (4): 819–827. doi:10.1016/j.jfda.2016.10.008. PMC 9328888. PMID 28987358.
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