What Are the Health Risks of Soy Sauce?

Womenscorner Desk
September 24, 2020

Health concerns are often raised regarding soy sauce, including its salt content, presence of cancer-causing compounds and specific reactions to components like MSG and amines. Soy sauce is high in sodium, commonly known as salt, which is an essential nutrient that your body requires to function properly.

However, high intakes of sodium are linked to increased blood pressure, especially in salt-sensitive people, and may contribute to the risk of heart disease and other diseases such as stomach cancer. In fact, reducing your sodium intake results in a modest decrease in blood pressure and can be part of a treatment strategy for people with high blood pressure.

Read More : The Nutrient Content of Soy Sauce

However, it is not clear if reduction directly lowers the incidence of heart disease in healthy people. Most dietary organizations recommend an intake of 1,500–2,300 mg of sodium per day, with the aim of reducing the risk of high blood pressure. One tablespoon of soy sauce contributes 38% of the current RDI. However, the same amount of table salt would contribute 291% of the RDI for sodium.

For those looking to reduce their sodium intake, salt-reduced varieties of soy sauce, which contain up to 50% less salt than the original products, have been developed. Despite its high sodium content, soy sauce can still be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet, especially if you are limiting processed food and mostly consuming fresh, whole foods with plenty of fruits and vegetables. If you are limiting your salt intake, try a salt-reduced variety or simply use less.