Is soy sauce good for the body?

The dark brown salty sauce is an invariable ingredient in many recipes. What are the benefits and harms of soy sauce, and is it used elsewhere besides cooking?

What is soy sauce made of?

Soy beans serve as the basis for a healthy and tasty sauce - it is to this plant that the product owes its name. In addition to beans, it contains wheat grains, salt, and sometimes special molds.

• All ingredients are mixed with each other, left to ferment in saline solution.
• When the fermentation process ends, the gruel is pressed, separating the liquid part.
• After that, the product is heated to completely kill the microorganisms and bacteria involved in fermentation.

There is a manufacturing technology in which molds are not used, the sauce ferments in a saline solution naturally for 2 - 3 years. Both types of product are considered natural - but the one that is obtained through long natural fermentation has more valuable properties.

The chemical composition and calorie content of soy sauce

Despite the small amount of ingredients, the chemical composition of the product is quite rich. It includes:

• vitamins C, PP, B vitamins, rare vitamin T;
• essential acids or proteins - their content is 5 - 7%;
• monosodium glutamate - an amino acid that enhances the taste of the product;
• antioxidants phenols and flavones, which speed up metabolism;
• isoflavones, necessary for the regulation of hormonal levels.

But the calorie content of the product is small - only from 50 to 70 calories per 100 g. From the point of view of nutritional value, the sauce is represented by proteins and carbohydrates, which occupy 6 g in total.

Why soy sauce is good for you

Although the product is prized primarily for its taste, it has very valuable properties. In particular, he:

• improves blood circulation, prevents the formation of cancer cells, cleanses the body - soy sauce is extremely useful for the liver;
• increases the elasticity of blood vessels and stimulates the growth of muscle fibers;
• strengthens the immune system due to the high content of vitamin C;
• promotes weight loss;
• helps to fight insomnia, depression and headaches.

Finally, the product brightens the taste of any dishes to which it is added - in the first place, this is why it is so popular in cooking.

For women

Isoflavones in the sauce successfully replace estrogen, a naturally produced female hormone. Therefore, for elderly women who have entered the period of menopause, the product is useful in that it helps to cope with surges in hormones and serves as the prevention of oncology.

For men

In excessive amounts for men, the sauce can be harmful - since it reduces the concentration of male hormones.But at the same time, an increase in the level of estrogen protects men at the age from baldness, and the antioxidant properties of the product prevent cancer from developing in the male body.

Is soy sauce possible for children and at what age

In adolescence, small doses of seasoning are more likely to be beneficial for children - primarily for muscle development. But in early childhood, it is not recommended to introduce sauce into the diet - malfunctions of the thyroid gland may appear. For the first time, you can offer a product to a child no earlier than 3 years old.

Can soy sauce be consumed by pregnant and lactating women?

The benefits for women depend on the degree of naturalness of the product. If no artificial additives were used in the manufacture, then it will not bring harm. But it is better to refuse a cheap product full of synthetic substances. In addition, it is not recommended to use the seasoning at the earliest possible date - due to the effect on the hormonal background, there is a risk of miscarriage.

During lactation, it is better to remove any sauce from the diet altogether - until the baby is 6 to 8 months old. The properties of the product can cause allergies in the baby.

Soy sauce for weight loss

A healthy product has a low calorie content, and it suits well for a dietary diet. They can successfully replace almost all the usual seasonings - vegetable oil, mayonnaise, sour cream. But you shouldn't get carried away either - thanks to monosodium glutamate in its composition, it increases appetite, so it can turn a diet into an ordeal.

Features of the use of soy sauce for certain diseases

Soybean seasoning is used in many recipes. Therefore, the question arises - will it be useful for certain acute or chronic diseases?

With gastritis

The product is quite salty and irritating to the stomach and intestines. During an exacerbation of gastritis, it is better to give it up completely. In calm periods of illness, you can use the product in small quantities - but natural, and not more often than three times a week. Chemical additives in cheap sauces will harm your stomach and can trigger an aggravation.

With pancreatitis

Acute inflammation of the pancreas keeps the list of allowed foods to a minimum. Soy bean sauce is also excluded from the diet until the disease progresses from an exacerbation to a calm phase. During the period of remission, you can add it to regular dishes - but you need to monitor the naturalness. The permissible daily dosage is no more than 2 teaspoons.

With diabetes

The product, which consists of natural ingredients, is approved for use in diabetes mellitus. The glycemic index is quite low - only 20 units. But first, in any case, it is advisable to consult a doctor. In addition, do not consume more than 3 tablespoons of the product per day.

The use of soy sauce in cosmetology

The unique properties of the product have a rejuvenating effect on the skin, slow down the aging process, strengthen hair and make it plump. Therefore, the sauce is actively used externally in home cosmetology.

Facial masks

The product is a good antioxidant, has a cleansing and whitening effect.

• To reduce the number of freckles, you can wash your face twice a day with brown sauce.
• You can mix a spoonful of the sauce with a little olive oil and egg yolk to get rid of inflammation and acne, as well as regulate the oily skin. The mask should be kept for no more than 25 minutes.

Hair masks

A very useful product for restoring hair volume. For example, you can make a mask like this:

• mix 2 teaspoons of the sauce with the same amount of vegetable oil;
• add egg yolk;
• beat well;
• distribute over the entire length of the hair and leave for an hour, and then wash your hair as usual.

The properties of another mask will not only have a positive effect on the health of the hair, but will also make it a little darker:

• 2 large spoons of sauce are poured over a glass of water;
• the liquid mask is distributed over wet washed strands;
• after 10 minutes, the hair is washed again with warm water.

Salt or soy sauce: which is better

Many people tend to give up salt, so the question is relevant - is it possible to replace it with soy sauce, which is also a little salty?

Nutritionists believe that there is no point in this - one way or another, salt is still present in the sauce. And it costs much more - and it turns out that when trying to replace salt, people are significantly overpaying, but they still eat the same substance.

Thus, the two seasonings are good in their own way. They can be replaced from time to time in separate dishes or combined, but you should not completely abandon one product in favor of another.

How to make soy sauce at home

If you wish, you can not buy the product, but cook it in your own kitchen. The homemade soy sauce recipe is pretty simple, just a few ingredients:

• soybeans in the amount of 120 g;
• some sea salt to taste;
• 1 large spoonful of flour;
• 2 large spoons of butter;
• 50 ml of vegetable broth.

The classical technology requires the addition of special molds to the product. However, there is nowhere to take them in the home kitchen, therefore, in order to give the sauce useful properties and a bright taste, it is the broth that is used.

Making the sauce is very simple:

• the beans are boiled, then thoroughly ground to a state of gruel;
• the rest of the ingredients are added to them, while continuing to stir;
• the mixed homogeneous mass is put on fire, boiled and immediately removed from the stove to cool.

The homemade sauce is ready - it differs from the store sauce, but it has a pleasant taste and undoubted benefits.

Harm of soy sauce and contraindications

The product contains considerable benefits for the body, but it can also bring harm. It is necessary to refuse it:

• for acute diseases of the stomach and intestines - a salty product will have an irritating effect on the digestive tract and aggravate the situation;
• with allergies - it is rare, but it cannot be completely ruled out;
• during early pregnancy - Isoflavones in the product can lead to miscarriage.

Can I get poisoned by soy sauce? The use of the product in excessive doses provokes migraines. However, in general, the properties of the sauce are safe for a healthy person - the main thing is to purchase a real product, and not a fake with a high content of chemicals.

What is the best soy sauce to choose

There are many varieties of the product in stores and markets. Not every soy sauce is good for the body - when choosing, you need to be guided by several rules.

• A quality product should not contain dyes, flavors and other additives - only salt, soy, wheat and water.
• The product label must necessarily indicate that it was made by fermentation, or fermentation.
• There should be no sediment inside the bottle either on the bottom or on the walls.
• It is best to purchase the product in glass rather than plastic containers.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of soy sauce depend on the quality of the product purchased. Natural seasoning will give food a bright taste and will not harm, while counterfeits should be feared.