| ● | Lange, K.W. & Nakamura, Y. (2026). Japanese-style diet and life expectancy. Journal of Food Bioactives 34, 1-9. Japanese-style diets have been linked to Japan's long life expectancy. However, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases has increased as Japanese diets have become more influenced by Western food culture. Since it is impossible to administer a lifelong diet to humans, rodent studies have addressed the question of which diet is linked to longevity. National surveys were used to compile menus representative of the Japanese diet at various points over several decades. These studies found that the typical Japanese diet in the late 1990s was healthier than the American diet at that time. Furthermore, mice fed a Japanese diet from 1975 showed the slowest aging and longest life expectancy compared to those fed diets from more recent years. Characteristic components of the 1975 Japanese diet included fish, vegetables, fruits, seaweed, soybean foods, dashi soup stock, and fermented seasonings. Although human studies suggest that the 1975 Japanese diet is healthier than the typical Japanese diet today, more research is needed to confirm these results when considering other lifestyle factors. |
| ● | Lange, K.W. & Nakamura, Y. (2026). Miso (Japanese fermented soybean paste) and its medicinal potential as an antihypertensive functional food. Food & Medicine Homology 3. Miso is an important soybean product and one of the most traditional and distinctive fermented foods in Japan. It is commonly used as a condiment in miso soup. Consumption of ordinary miso soup, with its high salt content, has long been thought to underlie the high incidence of salt-sensitive hypertension in Japan. However, this assumption has been contradicted by several human observational studies, which found no association between the frequency of miso soup consumption and blood pressure or the incidence of hypertension. This has been confirmed by several controlled interventional studies in humans. In preclinical experiments, miso was shown to have antihypertensive effects in Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats. In this animal model, the intake of miso did not increase blood pressure compared to an equivalent salt intake. In conclusion, the available preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that consumption of miso soup does not increase blood pressure or heart rate compared with an equivalent salt intake. Miso is a nutritious fermented food which appears to have health-promoting effects in the management of hypertension. |
| ● | Lange, K.W. & Nakamura, Y. (2025). Japanese cuisine and its health benefits: food bioactives, dietary features, and public health. Journal of Food Bioactives 31, 1‒7. Japan has the highest life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in the world. Interest in Japanese cuisine has increased globally due to its potential health benefits. The Japanese diet has been reported to reduce total mortality and extend disability-free survival time. Epidemiological studies have shown that relatively high consumption of seafood, soy-based foods, miso soup, and green tea in Japan may promote health and longevity. A low intake of red meat, milk, dairy products, sugar, and sweeteners is associated with low mortality rates from cancer and ischemic heart disease, as well as a low prevalence of obesity. Avoiding obesity appears to be a key factor in maintaining good health. Given the conflicting findings regarding the potential links between specific foods, dietary habits, and health and longevity, the composition of the typical Japanese diet may be of secondary importance, and its modest daily food energy intake may provide the greatest benefit. Japan’s low incidence of chronic overeating, combined with a relatively high level of physical activity, is reflected in its low obesity rates. Japan has implemented various public health policies to support these lifestyle aspects. |
| ● | Lange, K.W. & Nakamura, Y. (2025). Viewing a Japanese garden and stress relief. Journal of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 9, 6‒8. It has been suggested that viewing nature can elicit positive feelings, reduce stressful thoughts and fear, and aid recovery from anxiety and stress. Previous studies have found that Japanese-style gardens can reduce perceived stress and lower heart rate. A recent study aimed to clarify the role of eye movements in alleviating physiological and psychological stress by comparing the effects of viewing a Japanese garden and a university campus garden containing similar visual elements. The Japanese garden was found to be more effective at reducing pulse rate and improving mood. In neither garden did pulse rate rise or fall based on the particular objects participants were viewing. Participants' gazes moved more quickly and across a broader range of the visual field in the Japanese garden than in the university garden. In the Japanese garden, gaze points were distributed more widely, extending to the edges of the visual field — particularly horizontally — and participants' gazes shifted more frequently from side to side. In conclusion, the stress-relieving effect was primarily the result of design features that prompted viewers to make frequent, rapid horizontal eye movements. |
| ● | Lange, K.W. & Nakamura, Y. (2025). Preventing childhood obesity - what we can learn from Japan. Journal of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 9, 3‒5. The prevalence of being overweight or obese among children is increasing rapidly worldwide, placing a heavy burden on healthcare systems. However, Japan has one of the lowest rates of childhood obesity worldwide. Lifestyle factors such as physical activity and eating habits play a crucial role in the development of overweight and obesity. Physical activity forms the basis of Japan's public health strategy. Daily routines are designed to encourage physical activity. A notable example of this is walking or cycling to school. Additionally, schools play a central role in promoting physical activity through compulsory sports programmes. Another cornerstone of Japan's strategy to combat overweight and obesity is the 'Shokuiku' nutrition education programme. The Shokuiku School Lunch Law stipulates that school meals must meet strict nutritional standards and be prepared using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Integrating nutrition education into everyday life means that what is learnt in the classroom leads to lasting behavioural changes. Japan's active commutes to school and nutrition education programmes instil healthy habits from an early age. |
| ● | Lange, K.W. & Nakamura, Y. (2025). How can we prevent childhood overweight in Germany by learning from Japan? (in German/Japanese). In: S. Suzuki (ed.), 41st Annual Report of the Hokkaido Japanese-German Association, pp. 9‒14. Sapporo: Hokkaido Nichidoku Kyokai. 過体重や肥満の子どもの有病率は世界中で急速に増加してきており、医療制度に大きな負担をかけている。しかし日本は、世界でも子どもの肥満率が最も低い国の一つである。運動や食習慣といった生活習慣の要因は、過体重や肥満の発症に重大な役割を果たしている。運動は日本の公衆衛生分野の方針の基盤をなす。毎日のルーティンが運動を促すように設計されており、その顕著な例が徒歩や自転車での通学である。さらに学校は、体育の授業が必修であることを通して運動を促進する中心的な役割を担っている。日本の肥満対策のもう一つの柱が「食育」栄養教育の授業である。食育学校給食法は、学校給食は厳格な栄養基準を満たし、地元産の新鮮な食材を使用すべきと規定している。栄養教育を日常生活に統合することで、教室で学んだことが永続的な行動の変化につながる。日本の徒歩・自転車通学と栄養教育授業は、幼い頃から健康的な習慣を身につけさせる。 |
| ● | Lange, K.W. & Nakamura, Y. (2025). Amazake (Japanese fermented rice beverage) and its potential health benefits. Food Science and Human Wellness 14, 9250076. Amazake is a sweet and non-alcoholic beverage with a long history in Japan. There are two types of amazake, koji amazake produced from rice koji and sakekasu amazake made from sake lees. Amazake has been suggested to be a functional food with various health benefits and cosmetic effects. The efficacy of both koji amazake and sakekasu amazake in improving bowel movements and defecation has been well studied. Amazake may be useful as a food with constipation relieving effects. Furthermore, beneficial effects of amazake on skin barrier function and skin water content in humans have been well established in randomized controlled trials. The findings of amazake effects on gut microbiota, intestinal environment and gut barrier function, mainly demonstrated in animal models, suggest a role of substances contained in amazake as prebiotics. Preliminary evidence indicates the potential value of amazake in the management of obesity, metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Long-term and excessive intake tests have demonstrated that the consumption of koji amazake is safe. |
| ● | Lange, K.W. (2025). Rudolf Virchow as a pioneer in biomedicine and social medicine, and his contribution to the development of modern medicine in Japan (in German/Japanese). In: S. Suzuki (ed.), 41st Annual Report of the Hokkaido Japanese-German Association, pp. 15‒20. Sapporo: Hokkaido Nichidoku Kyokai. 科学と政治の分野で、より人道的な医療のために熱意を持って闘ったフィルヒョウは世界中の数多くの医師や研究者に影響を与えた。フィルヒョウの目的の本質は、医療行為を精密科学に基づいて確立し、社会的・政治的な活動を通じて健康を改善することにあった。社会医学は現在、分子生物医学ほど重視されていない。しかし現代医学はフィルヒョウの理念を意識し、疾病において生物学的リスクと社会的リスクの両方を研究すべきである。すなわち、生物学に基づく治療法の探索においても健康と疾病への社会的な決定要因の役割に関する研究が必要である。フィルヒョウは、健康に影響を与える社会的要因が政治的に決定されるものであることを認識していた。したがって、それら要因を改善するには政治的な措置を必要とする場合がある。現在のパンデミックが広範囲にわたって及ぼす影響により、疾病予防と健康増進のための政策が、医療分野を超えて必要となっている。そのために政府には、格差、環境破壊、肥満を誘発する環境、その他不健康な生活習慣要因への対策をとる社会的責任がある。 |
| ● | Lange, K.W. & Nakamura Y. (2024). Japanese food culture and human health ‒ what we can learn from Japan. Journal of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 8, 9‒12. Japan leads the world in life expectancy and the number of years people live in good health on average. Epidemiological studies have shown that the relatively high consumption of seafood, soy-based foods and green tea in Japan may have beneficial effects on health and longevity. In addition, low intake of red meat, milk and dairy products, sugar and sweeteners, and high intake of seafood, plant-based foods and sugar-free beverages are associated with relatively low mortality from cancer and ischaemic heart disease and a low prevalence of obesity. Avoiding obesity appears to be a key dietary factor in maintaining good health. The increasing use of highly processed foods in Japan is a cause for concern. Consumption of a wide variety of mainly fresh and unprocessed foods is inversely associated with all-cause mortality and may be a significant factor in public health. |
| ● | Lange, K.W. & Nakamura, Y. (2024). Japanese diet and health - and what we can learn from it in Germany (in German/Japanese). In: S. Suzuki (ed.), 40th Annual Report of the Japanese-German Association Hokkaido, pp. 9‒13. Sapporo: Hokkaido Nichidoku Kyokai. 日本は平均寿命および平均的に健康で生きられる寿命において世界をリードしている。疫学的研究により、日本では海産物、大豆を基にした食品、緑茶の比較的多い消費が、健康と長寿に有益な影響を及ぼす可能性が示されている。さらに、赤身肉、牛乳や乳製品、砂糖や甘味料の摂取量を少なくし、海産物、植物性の食品、無糖飲料の摂取量が多くなると、がんや虚血性心疾患による死亡率が比較的低くなり、肥満の劇的な低下に相関する。肥満の回避は、健康を維持するうえで食事療法における重要な要因であるとみられる。しかし、日本の加工されすぎた食品の消費量の増加が懸念されてきている。主として新鮮で加工されていない多種多様な食品を消費することは、全死因死亡率と逆相関しており、公衆衛生上非常に大きな要因であると考えられる。 |
| ● | Lange, K.W. (2022). Tea in cardiovascular health and disease: A critical appraisal of the evidence. Food Science and Human Wellness 11, 445‒454. The findings of various epidemiological studies, interventions using randomized controlled trials and mechanistic experiments have suggested a protective role of tea and its bioactive components in cardiovascular health. The potential of tea in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) has therefore attracted increasing research interest. Polyphenols, in particular flavonoids, found in both green and black tea, have been suggested to play a primary role in the reduction of CVD risk. While promising results regarding the effects of tea on blood pressure and other CVD-related biomarkers have been found in preclinical experiments, the effects demonstrated in human studies are modest and less satisfactory. This discrepancy may be explained, at least in part, by different research strategies used in human and animal research. However, since tea is globally one of the most commonly consumed beverages, even small beneficial effects in humans may shift the population distribution of CVD risk, with major implications for public health. However, research conducted to date does not yield sufficiently robust evidence to allow a recommendation as to an optimal level of tea consumption as an element of health policies seeking to prevent hypertension and improve cardiovascular health. |
| ● | Lange, K.W., Lange, K.M. & Nakamura, Y. (2022). Green tea, epigallochatechin gallate and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease: Clinical evidence. Food Science and Human Wellness 11, 765‒770. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has become a major public health challenge worldwide. The symptomatic treatments available for AD have shown no significant efficacy, and no disease-modifying interventions are capable of slowing the progression of the disorder. The potential of lifestyle-related factors, including diet, is increasingly recognized as an important consideration in the primary prevention of AD. Numerous mechanisms potentially underlying neuroprotective effects of bioactive components contained in tea, such as (-)epigallocatechin-3-gallate, as well as their preventive efficacy against AD, have been elucidated in preclinical studies. However, in contrast to the abundance of mechanistic findings in animals, clinical results demonstrating efficacy in humans are scarce. While epidemiological studies have provided some evidence indicating that green tea consumption is associated with a reduced risk of age-related cognitive decline and AD, a causal relationship cannot be established on the basis of these observations. The clinical evidence regarding preventive or therapeutic effects of green tea and its bioactive components is unsatisfactory. |
Lange, K.W., Nakamura, Y., Lange, K.M. & Zhao, H. (2022). Tea and depression. Food Science and Human Wellness 11, 476‒482. The available evidence suggests that compounds contained in tea may have the potential to aid in the prevention of depression or in its treatment as an addition to established therapies. Potent pharmacological effects on circumscribed neurobiological systems may be produced not by individual tea components but rather by the synergistic action of various compounds on multiple pathophysiological mechanisms involved in depression. While epidemiological studies have generally demonstrated beneficial effects of tea consumption on mood and depressive symptoms, cross-sectional studies are unable to prove a cause-effect relationship. If positive effects on mood could be firmly established, tea drinking could support mental health. However, the moderate antidepressive effects observed in healthy people are not necessarily indicative of possible clinical effects in major depressive disorder. Randomized controlled intervention studies are needed to establish a causal relationship between bioactive compounds in tea and depression. | |
| ● | Lange, K.W., Hauser, J., Nakamura, Y. & Kanaya, S. (2015). Dietary seaweeds and obesity. Food Science and Human Wellness 4, 87‒96. The potential therapeutic benefits of consuming seaweed have been reported in the management of body weight and obesity. Most studies examining the short-term effects of alginate consumption suggest that it may increase satiety, reduce energy intake, and promote weight loss. Suggested mechanisms for these effects include delayed gastric clearance, stimulation of gastric stretch receptors, and reduced nutrient absorption. However, long-term studies in humans are required to draw firm conclusions. Animal studies have investigated the potential anti-obesity effects of seaweed on adipogenesis and the inhibition of major lipid-hydrolyzing and -metabolizing enzymes. These studies suggest that seaweed components, such as fucoxanthin, have beneficial effects on body weight and the percentage of abdominal white adipose tissue. However, it is premature to extrapolate these findings to humans, as consistent results are lacking. Currently, there is no solid evidence indicating that seaweed is effective in long-term weight management. However, the available findings suggest the potential benefits of seaweed components in the treatment of obesity. |
