Soy sauce: benefits and harms, calorie content, what it is. The Chinese know about it: the true benefits of soy sauce

Soy sauces that came to Ukraine from South-East Asia, willingly buy and add to the most different dishes. Meanwhile, exorbitant doses of the carcinogenic substance chlorpropanol have been found in many soy sauces. Such studies have been carried out for several years in Europe, but few people know about them in Ukraine.

It is believed that this is tasty and healthy seasoning must be included in the diet of a person concerned about the fight against overweight…. Well, there is no arguing about tastes, but usefulness is the question in this case!

Tops and roots

For starters - flowers. Soy sauce is a great alternative to salt, isn't it? But everything is good in moderation, even if only in moderation soy sauce a little “thicker” compared to salt. Even seemingly innocent products can be abused! Acute soy-sauce psychosis can lead to the most banal salt deposits no worse than ordinary sodium chloride.

Further more. Back in school, during biology lessons, they tried to explain to us the principles of development defense mechanisms in plants. Simply put, sharp spines, a vile smell and a terrible taste, poison, in the end - all this was invented by representatives of the flora out of desperation so that the representatives of the fauna would leave them alone and stop eating with such pleasure. Well, soybean didn’t make a mistake and, according to endocrinologists, it has developed a birth control mechanism of the type that “grubs” it - a kind of “oral contraceptives.” These are so-called phytoestrogens, which interact with mammalian hormones that control reproductive functions and growth of the body. In other words, they lead to a decrease in the birth rate of greedy eaters of soy and soy products, including sauce. The result is just like the great and terrible Stephen King - people are dying out like mammoths, and soybeans triumph and single-handedly rule the planet!

Trust but check!

Well, King's horror stories are, of course, too much: soybeans are not as scary as they make them out to be. But there is another unpleasant touch in this plant landscape. IN Japanese cuisine There is one dish that causes both horror and delight, both among the Japanese themselves and among numerous fans of exotic cuisine - the famous fugu fish, a dish from which can become deadly poisonous if the technology for preparing the fish is violated. In the same way, soy sauce, it turns out, can become a “cross the throat”: in 2002-2003, in Europe, Australia and the USA, soy sauce was already at the center of a large-scale scandal. One of the accusations brought against him was the unacceptably high content of chloropropanols - the strongest carcinogens that cause cancer. Chloropropanol is a by-product of acid hydrolysis, a method that has been used to speed up and reduce the cost of making soy sauce.

As a matter of fact, exactly modern technology production and makes one question the usefulness of such a seemingly necessary product. Ideally, soy sauce is prepared in the following way.

Soybeans are evaporated, mixed with roasted wheat grains, then filled with water and salted. The resulting mass is left to ferment in the sun in special containers. And it, this mass, reaches the required “condition” in no less than a year.

In high-quality soy sauce, in addition to the ingredients mentioned above, natural extracts, for example, garlic, dill, etc., may be present in various combinations for a variety of taste.

Undoubtedly, this combination of products not only tastes good, but is also very healthy. Therefore, it is natural that Europeans, advanced in caring for their own health, began to consume soy sauce in huge quantities...

The only harmless way to speed up the preparation of soy sauce is to add special microorganisms to the fermenting mass. This gives the sauce a characteristic sweetish taste and speeds up its “ripening” by about 12 times.

These two types are considered the safest and even useful. But the prices for such sauces are not affordable for everyone: from 3 to 9 dollars per bottle.

Much cheaper, 1-2 dollars per bottle, is a sauce prepared in a completely original way: soybeans are boiled with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, and then quenched with alkali. That's all. The technology is as simple as five kopecks, the time spent is scanty. In a month of work, you can fill all markets with very cheap and quickly sold out goods. And they fail, because most soy sauces on the markets are prepared this way.

It’s even easier to dilute soy concentrate with water, pour it into bottles and put it on the shelves. It's just as cheap as the previous method, but at least it's not dangerous. Accordingly, there can be no talk of benefits.

What to do? Giving up your favorite condiment? Return to the hateful and harmful, but more familiar salt? Most likely, you shouldn’t make a mountain out of a mountain - soy sauce is not such a killer maniac. The main thing is to choose the right quality sauce, the label of which indicates that it was produced naturally, and, of course, do not abuse it. And then this salty balance of low calories and pleasant taste will not cause you any harm.

Soy sauce for slimness

Soy sauce is the only soy product that nutritionists unanimously recommend.

Because it: does not contain cholesterol; replaces salt, seasonings, butter, mayonnaise at the same time; low in calories: per 100 g - 70 kcal.

And those who are on a diet should choose low-sodium soy sauce. Therefore, you need to learn to distinguish, albeit relatively inexpensive, but good sauce from an obvious and gross fake.

How to choose a quality sauce

One bottle at a time. Any high-quality sauce is sold exclusively in glass bottles. In plastic ones, the taste and aromatic originality of the product is lost.

By composition. It should contain only natural ingredients, no dyes or flavors. IN good sauce up to approximately 8% protein.

Usually, respectable manufacturers write on the label: “produced by natural fermentation” , because this belongs to the category of product advantages. Those who dilute soy concentrate with water usually simply modestly add the word “artificial.” But those who like to poison people with acids usually do not indicate anything, because it is not in their interests.

By color. Experts recommend holding the sauce up to the light. If it is light brown in color, then there is no doubt - it is natural. But artificial and produced with the help of acid is usually dark brown, right up to black.

Soy sauce has been used since very ancient times, but still remains in demand, especially in national cuisine distant Asia. It is a product of fermentation of soybeans and some wheat grains in combination with special molds of the genus Aspergillus. The finished sauce is a transparent liquid of reddish-brown color with a specific, easily recognizable taste and smell.

Each Asian country has its own varieties of soy sauce, prepared according to different recipes. They look similar, but differ from each other in color, thickness, flavor, aroma and salt content.

In general, classic soy sauce is a salty liquid with a very unusual, bright taste. It has the ability to emphasize and make harmonious and exquisite taste a wide variety of dishes. This feature is given to it by monosodium glutamate, contained in Asian seasoning.

Chemical composition

100 g of a high-quality, properly prepared product contains: proteins - 6.3 g, carbohydrates - 6.8 g, fats - 0.04 g, fiber - 0.8 g and 15.3 g of ash. The rest (71 g) is water. In addition to these basic substances, soy sauce contains many B vitamins, which are formed during the fermentation of soybeans and wheat:

thiamine (B1) – 0.03 g;
riboflavin (B2) – 0.17 mg;
niacin (B3) – 2.2 mg;
choline (B4) – 18.3 mg;
pantothenic acid (B5) – 0.3 mg;
pyridoxine (B6) – 0.15 mg;
folates – 14 mcg.

It also contains macroelements: potassium (217 mg) and calcium (19 mg), magnesium (43 mg) and phosphorus (125 mg), but especially a lot of sodium (5637 mg). Of the microelements, this Asian product contains iron (1.93 mg), manganese (0.42 mg), copper (0.1 mg), selenium (0.5 μg) and zinc (0.52 mg).

What and how is soy sauce made from?

Natural soy sauce, which has been prepared in Asian countries for centuries, should contain only 3 or 4 components: soybeans, water, salt and in some cases wheat. This sauce is called boiled.

If yeast, wine, sugar, vinegar, peanuts, spices, alcohol are added to the main ingredients, olive oil, honey, garlic and ginger powder or other ingredients, then this is no longer classic soy sauce, but its varieties, which are called mixed.

The presence of dyes, preservatives, flavors or other synthetic substances indicates cheap poor quality product, obtained industrially.

Traditional seasoning is prepared according to the following scheme:

Soybeans are boiled in water or steamed.
Then wheat flour and salt are added to them and the mixture is left to ferment.
When the fermentation process is finished, which can take from 40 days to 3 years, the sauce is filtered and bottled in glass or plastic bottles.

In this way, 2 main types of sauce are obtained: dark, thick and rich (long-term aging) and light, liquid and lighter in taste. Often in this form, the seasoning is used as a salt substitute and flavor enhancer for dishes that have a bland taste, for example, boiled rice, traditional in Asian countries.

Calorie content of the product

Soy sauce is not a high-calorie food; it energy value is only 50-75 kcal. Moreover, this amount of calories is obtained by processing an almost equal proportion of proteins and carbohydrates in the body. When breaking down fats, which consist of oleic and linoleic acids, the body receives only 0.36 kcal.

The low energy value of soy sauce allows it to be used in the diet of people not only of normal weight, but also of overweight people. In addition, nutritionists even recommend adding it to dietary dishes as a replacement for butter, sour cream and mayonnaise to make their taste more pronounced and pleasant.

The nutritional value

Soy sauce is valuable not only for its vitamins and minerals, but also for its complete proteins, which are not inferior in quality to proteins of animal origin. They contain almost all essential amino acids:

leucine – 0.5 g;
arginine – 0.43 g;
lysine – 0.36 g;
isoleucine – 0.3 g;
phenylalanine – 0.33 g;
valine – 0.31 g;
threonine – 0.25 g;
tyrosine – 0.23 g;
cysteine – 0.2 g;
histidine – 0.16 g;
tryptophan and methionine – 0.09 g.

Essential amino acids in soy sauce are glutamic acid (1.48 g), aspartic acid (0.67 g), proline (0.46 g), serine (0.36 g), alanine and glycine (0.28 g). ), tyrosine (0.23 g), cysteine (0.11 g). It is thanks to the richness of proteins, vitamins and minerals that the ancient oriental sauce is valued in many countries around the world not only as a tasty exotic seasoning, but also an extremely healthy food product.

What are the benefits of soy sauce for the body?

This product will be useful for those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease) and nervous systems, metabolic disorders (obesity and diabetes), arthritis, cholecystitis, myalgia and edema.

Its effect on the body is expressed in improving blood circulation, normalizing sleep, the ability to prevent the appearance of tumors and delay their growth, and stop the rate of natural aging of the body. This seasoning is also recommended for people who are allergic to animal proteins.

For men, constant consumption of soy sauce will help avoid strokes and heart attacks, age-related degenerative neurological diseases and cancer.

The benefit of the sauce for women lies in the phytoestrogens present in it, which:

regulate menstrual cycle and reduce its pain;
reduce the likelihood of breast cancer and osteoporosis;
allow women to stay young longer;
minimize severity negative manifestations menopause.

For children, soy sauce is useful as a good source of antioxidants, of which it contains tens of times more than citrus fruits. But you can give it to children only starting from 3 years old, and only if there are no allergies or problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Harm and contraindications

The seasoning is harmful if consumed in excess, as it contains a lot of salt. As a result of intensive intake of salt into the body, salt can be deposited in the kidneys in the form of stones or provoke hypertension. A negative effect of large portions of sauce on the thyroid gland has also been noted.

Poor quality is even more harmful cheap product, which is obtained not as a result of natural fermentation of beans, but by hydrolysis of soy protein, which accelerates the fermentation process. The benefit of it is questionable, and the harm is that it contains carcinogens that contribute to the development of cancer.

People who are allergic to soy or wheat proteins, gastrointestinal diseases, or pregnant women should not eat soy sauce.

Soy sauce can be bought in almost any supermarket or grocery store today. But how not to make a mistake with your choice? To purchase a truly high-quality product, you need to adhere to the following rules.

The sauce should be poured into a light glass container, not a plastic container.
Be liquid, almost like water, not thick like syrup, and clear, completely free of any sediment.
The seasoning should contain only soy, wheat, salt and water. All other ingredients indicate that this sauce is not prepared according to the classic recipe.
The label must indicate a protein content of at least 7%, indicating that a sufficient amount of soybeans was used to prepare the seasoning.
The composition should not contain any artificial additives.
A quality product cannot be cheap, so you should keep this indicator in mind.

Kikkoman Hollandaise sauce, prepared according to a Japanese recipe that is more than 300 years old, as well as “Classic” from the Russian brand Sen Soy, and “Classic” from the American company Heinz meet these criteria.

How to use the product correctly

Dark aged sauce is used mainly as a marinade for meat, poultry and fish or served with sushi and rolls.

Light and liquid is added to salads, pasta, various dishes from seafood, vegetables, meat, fish as a liquid seasoning or gravy is made on its basis, such as mushroom, mustard, shrimp or fish.

DIY soy sauce

It is clear that you can prepare natural soy sauce “according to all the rules of art” only if there is a fungus present, which is quite problematic in our conditions. But you can make a simple and affordable variation of it, the ingredients for which can be found in every kitchen.

To prepare it you will need:

100 g soybeans;
1 tbsp. l. flour;
2 tbsp. l. butter;
2 tbsp. l. chicken broth.

The cooking process is simple. First you need to boil the beans and grind them into puree. Then add butter, broth, salt to taste and flour to the resulting mass. Mix everything thoroughly, put on the fire and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. When the mixture has cooled, it can be served with rice, pasta, meat and other dishes.

Use in cosmetology

The sauce can be not only a food product, but also an ingredient for homemade cosmetics. To do this, just add a little liquid to homemade face or hand creams, after using which the skin will become more healthy color, will become soft, elastic and smooth.

Sauce in small quantity can also be added to hair masks. After using them, the strands will become shiny, silky and elastic.

Soy sauce is a masterpiece of Asian cuisine that deserves to be known better. This is a great seasoning that can be added to everyday dishes and gives them a bright and unique taste. At correct use it can bring invaluable benefits to the body, but only if it is natural and of high quality.

In contact with

The masterpiece of Asian cuisine, known even to a child, was invented in China more than two and a half thousand years ago - to this day it allows chefs to create masterpieces from ordinary dishes. The seasoning adds a sharp, slightly salty taste to food, but its characteristics are controversial: benefits and harm go hand in hand.

Soy sauce - composition

The liquid is rich in antioxidants and useful microelements. It includes calcium, zinc, manganese, ferrous compounds, and more than a dozen essential amino acids - each of these substances provides invaluable assistance to a person, his health and well-being. However, it is impossible to obtain the traditional composition of soy sauce without the fermentation process and the addition of wheat - thanks to this combination, the product is more tender.

Classic composition

The popularity of brown sauce is so great that chefs from all over the world are trying to prepare the recipe with their own tricks. What you won't see in the ingredient list: beef broth, cornstarch, potato flour and even ketchup! However, the composition of classic soy sauce has not changed for a long time, although most manufacturers add sodium carbonate, activated carbon and flavorings to the mixture.

Main components of the product:

soya beans;
water;
caramel;
corn syrup;
salt.

Soy sauce - benefits

The aromatic liquid has a general positive effect on the body, prevents the premature appearance of wrinkles, maintains vigor, and relieves nervous tension. Women will appreciate its properties during menstruation; in addition, soy sauce relieves pain, relieves unpleasant symptoms during menopause and cholecystitis. Phytoestrogens and healthy vitamins help representatives of the charming sex remain young and beautiful for a long time.

The invaluable benefit of soy sauce is that the tasty seasoning contains niacin, which has a beneficial effect on heart function. This chemical element regulates fat content in the bloodstream, promoting the production good cholesterol. Isoleucine is useful for the liver, improving its function, and low percentage carbohydrates will help normalize weight.

Harm

The seasoning is saturated with peptides that constrict blood vessels - this leads to unwanted jumps in readings on the tonometer. Also, low-quality soy can cause skin irritation in people at risk of allergies. Flavor enhancers added by the manufacturer can serve as a catalyst and double the negative effect. A natural product that has undergone a fermentation process is less dangerous, but you should not get carried away with it, especially for gout, diabetes mellitus.

The significant harm of soy sauce lies much deeper: unscrupulous companies sell cheap substitutes to customers instead of the original product. Alternative famous seasoning prepared on the basis of hydrochloric acid– such a surprise can cause serious damage to the eater, so you should choose a real oriental product that is difficult to replace with anything.

Soy sauce for weight loss

Is it worth pampering yourself with this food additive? Low calorie says yes. The nutritional value The product is ten calories per 1 tablespoon of seasoning. The high protein content will benefit people seeking to achieve ideal forms because their muscles will begin to grow much faster. Not a large number of The product will give the dish the aroma and missing taste, but it contains Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, and their excess in the diet can lead not to weight loss, but to inflammation and health problems.

Conventional diets prohibit the consumption of salt, but these taboos do not apply to soy sauce, but in vain. Having felt the spicy bouquet of the seasoning, you can guess that it contains table salt, which retains fluid in the body, preventing it from being excreted. Therefore, when dieting, the product should be added to minimum quantities.

For gastritis

People suffering from gastrointestinal diseases are forced to adhere to a strict diet. The list of products for them is limited as much as possible by specialists. Is soy sauce good for this? It all depends on the quality: natural in moderate doses is not at all harmful, which cannot be said about its fake “brother”. Seasoning made unscrupulously can aggravate symptoms, developing intolerable pain and obesity.

You need to choose soy sauce for gastritis as carefully as possible:

When examining the ingredients on the label, you should ensure that the product is produced through natural fermentation.
There should not be any GMOs or harmful additives inside, and the contents of the container may be slightly transparent and viscous. A glass bottle will help you quickly verify this.

For pancreatitis

Pancreatic diseases are a scourge modern man. Excluding most spices and herbs from the diet, you can only rely on salty seasoning. What are the benefits of soy sauce and can it be used as a food supplement? Doctors doubt it. The list of ingredients may include garlic and vinegar, which irritate the walls of the pancreas and increase inflammation, so you should avoid soy sauce if you have pancreatitis. Choose a useful product made without the use of chemical substances, it’s not easy, so don’t risk your health.

Benefits and harms for men

One tablespoon of this liquid contains 335 mg of sodium. This mineral plays an important role in losing weight, maintaining basic functions in the body, including the transmission of nerve impulses and regulating blood pressure - which is a plus. But sodium abuse can lead to salt deposition in joints and liver damage, and the presence of estrogen in the composition will bring only trouble instead of positive things. This is the benefit and harm of soy sauce for men if you do not stop in time. The stronger sex should control themselves.

Application

Having determined that brown seasoning has more benefit than harm, you should take a closer look at the recipes. Oriental cooking is not complete without the additive, and other cuisines around the world use it with pleasure. Asian countries consider the use of soy sauce to be a special tradition that has been honored for generations: moderate use of the seasoning helps to diversify the taste of dishes, adding sophistication to them. Chicken in a spicy marinade, sushi, salads, funchose - far from full list masterpieces that cannot be imagined without sauce.

If the liquid in the bottle is light in color, it will give the dish tenderness, and if the liquid in the bottle is dark, it will give the right aroma and consistency. If a person likes a non-calorie product, and even in small quantities, there is no benefit or harm for him special significance. Contraindications can be neutralized provided that the cook adds only a drop to meat, rice or pasta. The piquant taste is what matters most!

Video

More and more fans of Asian cuisine are appearing in our country. Soy sauce is a traditional seasoning for oriental dishes, which is difficult to find an analogue in terms of taste and breadth of use. Even mayonnaise cannot compare with it. It goes well with meat, fish with rice and vegetables. You can prepare various sauces based on it. But let's try to figure out what soy sauce is, its benefits and harm to the body. Is it possible to season our dishes so thickly with it?

How did soy sauce come about?

The history of soy sauce begins in ancient China, approximately 3000 years ago. Chinese monks did not approve of eating milk and meat products, they preferred plants. But the body cannot do without protein, and then the monks suggested replace meat and milk with soy products.

The first vegetarian dish Chinese monks became cheese prepared on the basis soy milk. Culinary experiments with soybeans gained momentum, and they began to replace almost everything. Eventually monks learned to cook soy sauce. Exact date We do not know the manufacture of this seasoning. But soy sauce quickly became popular, and now the Japanese are serving it at their table.

Among the Japanese, the first mention of soy sauce dates back to around the 18th century. Here the sauce became a favorite seasoning and became a gourmet product. Its long shelf life gave the Japanese the opportunity to spread the sauce to other countries, starting with Holland. Soy sauce reached Russia only in the 90s and was also loved by many cooks and ordinary housewives.

What is soy sauce made from?

Soybean is a herbaceous plant whose lifespan is only one year. The soybean fruit is a bean, from which so many products are obtained that are extremely rich in vegetable protein. Exactly Soy sauce is made from these beans.

But not only soybean fruits are needed to make the sauce; wheat grains and molds are also added there, which cause fermentation. Without them, the sauce will not have its characteristic sour taste and smell.

How to prepare this seasoning:

Soybeans are soaked in water and boiled.
Wheat grains are roasted and crushed.
Boiled beans and cooked grains are mixed.
Planted in the resulting pulp different types fungi and microorganisms.
The resulting mass is poured saline solution and left to ferment. When the sauce ferments, it breaks down protein into free amino acids, and starch into simple sugars. Due to this, the sauce gets its dark color.
The fermented pulp is placed under a special load. In this way, the sauce is separated from the solid base.
The raw sauce must be heated so that the remaining mushrooms and bacteria are killed.

This is how classic soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans and grains.

How to choose soy sauce when purchasing?

When choosing soy sauce on store shelves, it is better to pay attention to what it contains in a glass container. Glass containers retain useful and taste qualities product.

What else might catch your attention?

The label should indicate that the product is fermented, that is, prepared by natural fermentation. This sauce is healthier than the one prepared according to an accelerated recipe in 3 days - by hydrolysis.
Carefully study the composition, it should include the following products: soy, wheat, water and salt. And nothing more unnecessary.
Sometimes, manufacturers want to save money and add it to soy sauce peanut. Don't buy this product.
The natural product must contain a sufficient amount of protein - at least 6%.
The liquid in the bottle should be homogeneous and not leave streaks or particles on the walls of the vessel.

Soy seasoning can vary in color, from darker shades to golden ones. It depends on the sugar content. But this indicator does not affect the benefits of the product, but only the taste.

What are the benefits of soy sauce?

Soy seasoning is considered dietary and useful product. It is eaten by devotees healthy image life. It's all about its rich composition.

Vitamins A, C, E, B.
Manganese.
Magnesium.
Phosphorus.
Potassium.

He contains large amount of amino acids, which make it a natural antioxidant, which helps slow down the aging of the body and prevent the development of cancer cells.

People who are allergic to animal protein can safely season their dishes with it.

There is a more noticeable benefit, it helps for the following diseases:

Diseases of the central nervous system (headaches, insomnia).
Cardiovascular diseases - helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
Pains of a spasmodic nature, headaches and neuralgia.

It contains neither fats nor sugars, which makes it possible to use it as food for people with diabetes and those people who are on a diet.

Concerning harm , which soy sauce can harm our body, then it is worth noting the unscrupulousness of the manufacturers who add it to its composition artificial fillers. They are the ones who can be unsafe.

How to make soy sauce at home?

Making classic soy sauce at home is not so easy, since finding the necessary mushrooms for fermentation is not an easy task. But it can be done homemade soy sauce option. For this we need:

Boil beans (100 g) and mash into puree.
Add 2 tablespoons of chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of butter to the resulting slurry.
Salt the resulting mass.
Add a tablespoon of flour.
On the lowest heat, the resulting mass must be brought to a boil.
It is necessary to stir it constantly so that the sauce does not burn, otherwise it will taste bitter.

Such a sauce, of course, will differ from the natural one in its properties and taste, but it can easily replace mayonnaise and tomato ketchup.

What can you eat soy sauce with?

Soy sauce is a universal seasoning. Of course, it all depends on the individual preferences of the person. It can be added anywhere, and even to soup instead of sour cream. But best of all he goes well with side dishes, which have a dryish consistency and bland taste, such as rice, pasta, and legumes. Based on it, you can come up with some good sauces in which it is added for spiciness.

Soy based sour cream sauce. Take a few spoons of sour cream of any fat content, depending on how much sauce you need to get. Add some dill and chopped garlic there. To prevent the sauce from being bland, add soy sauce to taste. Your preference is important here, whether you like the sauce sour or not. Stir the whole mixture until you get a sauce the color of coffee with milk. This seasoning goes well with vegetable salads, fish, and you can even make a sandwich with it.
For cooking marinade for chicken. Soak the pieces in it (best suited chicken wings) and leave to soak for a while. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the meat will turn out too soft and soggy. You can also add it when frying along with oil.

If you decide to diversify your cuisine, then soy sauce is perfect. It will give dishes a new, incomparable sweet and sour taste.

After reading this article, you learned everything about soy sauce: the benefits and harms, what it consists of and how to prepare it at home. Then you can experiment and get more and more new dishes.

Video about the benefits and harms of the product

In this program, Dr. Elena Maslova will talk about the dangers and benefits of soy products and sauces for the human body:

How is natural soy sauce made?

The benefits and harms of any product are determined by the content of certain substances in it. The exotic oriental sauce, beloved by many gourmets, is obtained by fermenting beans.

They are crushed and mixed with ground wheat, then mixed with water and packaged in special bags. In the sun, the fermentation process begins, during which liquid is released. It is collected, carefully filtered, and the result is classic soy sauce. The benefits and harms of the final product depend on compliance with the preparation technology. To speed up production, a starter is added to the mixture of beans and wheat, which does not affect the quality of the product. If the glass packaging says “naturally fermented,” then this is natural soy sauce. But if you find artificial colors or nutritional supplements, then the benefits of soy sauce in this case are in great doubt. In general, if a product is sold not in classic glass containers, but in plastic bottle, then most likely it is a fake. It is also worth paying attention to its color: the liquid, if it is in small quantities, should be brown, not black.

Nutritional value and chemical composition soy sauce

The calorie content of this oriental seasoning is low. There are only 50 kilocalories in 100 grams of sauce; there is no fat in the sauce. About 6 grams of protein and carbohydrates. Since the product is made from soybeans, it retains many of the vitamins, minerals and amino acids from this plant. Classic soy sauce contains sodium, mono- and disaccharides and, oddly enough, a small amount of ash (5.5 g).

Longevity, health and soy sauce

The benefits and harms of this product are of interest to many lovers of Japanese, Korean and Chinese dishes. We have all heard about eastern longevity. It turns out that one of the secrets to the slimness and health of Asians is the regular use of soy sauce. Scientists have proven positive influence"black gold" on blood circulation and cardiovascular system, as well as its ability to block free radicals, which helps slow down the aging process and prevents the development of cancerous tumors. For people who are obese and those who have allergic reactions In terms of animal protein, it’s generally worth taking a closer look at soy and its derivatives. This sauce is often recommended as an alternative to table salt for those on a weight loss diet.

Soy sauce: harm and contraindications

Even though this natural product has a lot useful properties, some people should refrain from using it. The sauce is contraindicated for pregnant women, as it increases the risk of miscarriage and also negatively affects the formation of the fetal brain. There is also an opinion that soy - the main component of this seasoning - has a bad effect on the human endocrine system. In the diet of younger children three years It is also better not to include soy sauce, the benefits and harms of which for children have not yet been fully studied.