“I hear that amazake is good for your health, but is it suitable for dieting?”
“Isn’t it because it’s sweet that it actually makes you fat?”
I will answer these questions.
In this article, we will discuss whether amazake is a drink suitable for dieting.
- Types of amazake
- Why amazake can be used for diet
- How to drink suitable for diet
will be explained from the perspective of
This is Kayada from Tenryohai Sake Brewery.
Tenryohai has been producing Amazake since 2005.
This year will be my 16th year.
I myself have been drinking amazake since January 2021 for diet purposes, and it has been about half a year, and I will also share my own experience.
There are two main types of amazake
as follows.
- Amazake made from sake lees
- Amazake made from rice koji
Amazake made from sake lees
This type of amazake is served at town events and festivals.
Features are as follows.
・No sweetness (adjust the taste with sugar or salt when drinking)
・Contains alcohol
・Rich in “resistant protein” that regulates the intestinal environment
Amazake is made by dissolving sake lees, which is produced when making Japanese sake, in water and adding sugar to give sweetness.
Because it uses sake lees, it contains trace amounts of alcohol, so children and pregnant women cannot drink it.
It has a unique aroma and sweetness.
People who don't like amazake seem to have a strong impression of this amazake, and I was also not good at this type of amazake.
Amazake made from rice koji
This type is produced by many sake breweries.
Features are as follows.
・Naturally sweet
・Does not contain alcohol
Rich in B vitamins and essential amino acids
The raw materials are only "rice" and "rice koji". The rice koji enzyme converts the starch in the rice into glucose, so you can enjoy the natural sweetness without adding sugar.
It does not contain alcohol, so even small children and pregnant women can drink it.
5 reasons why amazake can be used for diet
as follows.
- regulate the intestinal environment
- support metabolism
- aid digestion
- Fatigue recovery
- reduce fat
regulate the intestinal environment
Amazake is a fermented food because it is fermented using koji mold.
Fermented foods contain a lot of good bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria, and by taking them as a meal, they work on the balance of bacteria in the intestines.
In addition, amazake is rich in a protein similar to dietary fiber called resistant protein. Therefore, it will improve the intestinal environment and relieve constipation.
Also, you can expect to be less likely to get diarrhea and improve immunity.
support metabolism
Amazake contains many nutrients that support metabolism.
For example, B vitamins and amino acids.
B vitamins are nutrients that are essential when using carbohydrates and lipids from meals as energy. And since amino acids are the source of building muscle, supplementing them properly will raise your basal metabolism.
A higher basal metabolic rate means that you burn more calories in a day.
A high basal metabolism consumes a lot of calories, resulting in a body that is less likely to gain weight.
aid digestion
Amazake contains a lot of enzymes, and it is known that amylase activity is particularly high, so it is thought to help digest carbohydrates.
Drinking it before a meal is said to help digestion, and the moderate sweetness makes you feel full, which helps prevent overeating.
Fatigue recovery
Amazake is said to be effective in relieving fatigue, and during the Edo period, it was popular as a drink to prevent summer fatigue.
The reason why amazake is effective in relieving fatigue is because it contains several kinds of organic acids. Among organic acids, it is known that citric acid contained in citrus fruits such as lemons is abundant.
Citric acid is a nutrient that prevents the accumulation of lactic acid, the source of fatigue. This is why many professional athletes drink amazake after strenuous exercise.
It is said that drinking a glass of amazake before going to bed will help you wake up better and help you recover from fatigue.
reduce fat
Amazake also has the power to suppress blood lipids. This is due to resistant proteins.
Resistant protein is a protein that acts like dietary fiber.
Dietary fiber is an essential ingredient for preventing diseases such as lifestyle-related diseases and living a healthy life. In particular, it is essential for controlling carbohydrates and lipids.
In the same way, resistant protein also has the function of preventing the absorption of carbohydrates and lipids, and is known to support health. In addition, it is said that there is also an effect to prevent the rise of lipid and cholesterol.
How to drink amazake suitable for diet
I think you know that amazake is a drink suitable for dieting, but you should be careful not to drink too much.
The reason is that it is a drink that is not low in sugar and calories.
It is said that 200 ml is good as a daily intake.
Recommended time to drink
・Breakfast
・When you want a snack
am.
Everyone has times when they want to snack. By giving up snacks and drinking amazake instead, you can get the right amount of sweetness and satisfaction, so you can avoid snacking.
In addition to the diet effect, we have summarized the effects obtained by drinking amazake. If you are interested, please click here.
[Related] About the effect obtained by drinking amazake taught by the brewery
By the way,,,,
As a result of continuing only one cup of sweet sake from January instead of breakfast, and one cup at the timing when I wanted to have a snack. As of August.
78 km → 69 km
became. I ate normally during the day and night.
Since the work of the brewery is physical labor, it seems to be effective. However, from April, the preparation of sake was stopped, and I was freed from physical labor.
I thought I would rebound on the way, but it fell off at a rate of 1 kilogram per month. Amazake effect is formidable!