Hi there, Monica Reinagel here. You're listening to The Nutrition Divas quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.

I've gotten a handful of questions about mezzo lately.

Francesca writes, I've heard that mezzo is supposed to be really good for you

and could even help defy cancer.

So is eating more mezzo the healthy thing to do?

But Katrina wonders whether the relatively high amount of sodium in it

makes mezzo an unhealthy food choice.

So today we're going to take a closer look at the nutritional pros and cons of mezzo.

So what exactly is mezzo?

Mezzo is a traditional Asian condiment that's made by grinding beans and or grains into a paste, adding

salt and then allowing it to ferment.

You end up with a thick paste that can be dissolved in water to make a broth or used as a seasoning element in sauces and other dishes.

Although you can make mezzo from a variety of different beans,

most common types of mezzo are based on soybeans.

So what's all this about it being a miracle cure?

There does seem to be an association between the consumption of soy foods in general, including mezzo, and lower rates of breast

cancer in Asian women. Western women don't seem to enjoy that same benefit, but that

could be because we don't start eating soy until we're older.

But I'm afraid there's no credible evidence that mezo has any miraculous powers to treat or cure cancer in humans.

Adding soy foods including me meso, to your diet may confer

some protection against heart disease via a modest effect on cholesterol and it could

also bolster bone health.

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