Can stinky tofu contain vitamin B12 to prevent dementia? The devil hides here...

While strolling around the night market, you may occasionally smell the scent of stinky tofu. When you look up, you will see a message posted by the store: "Stinky tofu contains vitamin B12, which can prevent dementia..." Does eating stinky tofu really have such magical health benefits? What are the benefits of vitamin B12 to the human body? Let’s hear what pharmacist Zhao Shunrong has to say.

Dementia is a progressive brain degenerative disease that causes brain cell degeneration, leading to a decline in other neurological functions, resulting in memory loss and symptoms of cognitive dysfunction that affect intelligence, language, calculation, judgment and living ability. At the same time, psychiatric symptoms such as disruptive behavior, personality changes, delusions, or hallucinations may occur. The severity of these symptoms will affect a person's ability to live their daily lives.

Malnutrition linked to dementia

Pharmacist Zhao Shunrong, chairman of the Taiwan Preventive Health Association, said that many recent studies have found the correlation between diet and dementia, including: malnutrition, metabolic abnormalities, central nervous system diseases, drugs, and alcoholism. In terms of nutritional imbalance, for example, lack of nutrients such as vitamin B12 and folic acid may also cause dementia. However, scientific evidence on the prevention and improvement of dementia still deserves further clinical verification and expectation.

Fermented stinky tofu contains vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is water-soluble and is the only vitamin that contains major minerals. B12 can only be synthesized by microorganisms. Intestinal microorganisms in the human body may provide some vitamin B12, but the use of antibiotics kills intestinal bacteria and may reduce the source. Pharmacist Zhao Shunrong reminds that plant foods do not contain vitamin B12, so long-term vegetarians are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, because vitamin B12 is only found in animal foods and yeast, such as eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, meat, etc.

After fermentation, stinky tofu is not only rich in vitamin B12, which can help promote human metabolism and maintain the health of the nervous system; during the fermentation process, it also produces plant lactic acid bacteria that are beneficial to gastrointestinal function. Although moderate consumption is good for human health, the cooking method is limited to steaming, rather than high-temperature frying in a frying pan.

Vitamin B12 deficiency may cause neuritis and anemia

Pharmacist Zhao Shunrong pointed out that the main functions of vitamin B12 include: promoting the formation and regeneration of red blood cells, used to treat pernicious anemia, aplastic anemia, and maintaining the normal function of the nervous system; used for nervous system diseases such as neuritis, neurasthenia, depression, etc.

When vitamin B12 and folic acid are deficient, the bone marrow will produce abnormally large red blood cells, and the white blood cell and platelet counts will also be abnormal; this may cause vitamin B12 deficiency anemia or folic acid deficiency anemia.

It is reminded that vegetarians or the elderly, those who use birth control pills, or those who drink and smoke frequently, as well as pregnant women or those who have just given birth, especially those who are deliberately restricting their diet to lose weight, should pay attention to their intake of folic acid and vitamin B12. Countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States have regulations requiring the addition of folic acid to flour and cereals, and people can overcome this through dietary habits. Vegans can eat foods labeled with added vitamin B12, or synthetic vitamin B12 supplements, to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia.

Eat stinky tofu and eat more vegetables and fruits

Studies have confirmed that soy products have high nutritional value. During the fermentation process, some of the protein in soy products will break down to produce free amino acids. The production process of stinky tofu must go through frying, braising, and fermentation. If it is not well controlled, it is easy to be contaminated by other bacteria, and will produce amine substances such as methylamine, putrescine, tryptamine, and hydrogen sulfide. Eating too much is not good for health.

Pharmacist Zhao Shunrong reminds that if you really can't give up stinky tofu, it is recommended to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits after eating it, because the phytochemicals contained in stinky tofu can block the formation of nitrosamines and maintain intestinal health. Studies have shown that different fruits and vegetables contain different phytochemicals, which have the following different physiological functions:

1. Good antioxidant.

2. Stimulate the activity of detoxification enzymes in the body.

3. Strengthens the immune system.

4. Regulate hormones.

5. Has anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects.