In recent years, the traditional diet of Russians has expanded, through the use of products that came from Asian cuisine. Among the most demanded - soy sauce, ubiquitous in the East. Many housewives add the product to everyday dishes, not even knowing what the benefits and harms of soy sauce are.
Material Content:
Soy sauce: chemical composition and calorie content
Soy sauce, an important component of oriental dishes, is a thick dark liquid with a pungent odor. The taste of the product is richly salty, so they are often seasoned with dishes, replacing salt.
The product was invented by the ancient Chinese. According to the original sources, dishes with the addition of soy sauce were prepared in China in the eighth century BC. Over time, the product gained distribution in all Asian countries and is still considered an obligatory component of meat and fish dishes.
The classic way to prepare soy sauce involves the fermentation of soy and wheat grains by fermentation, which is caused by specially added Aspergillus fungi.
Traditional product manufacturing takes several months. Therefore, some manufacturers use techniques that simplify the process and reduce cooking time. Such soy sauces become ready in three days and can be stored longer.
However, products prepared by hydrolysis differ in taste from the original soy sauce and may contain carcinogens.
Whereas soy sauce, prepared in the traditional way, has a high nutritional value and contains healthy substances:
- micro and macro elements - zinc, iron, manganese, calcium, copper, as well as sodium, phosphorus and chlorine;
- B, A, E vitamins and ascorbic acid;
- mono- and disaccharides;
- amino acids;
- glutamic acid derivatives.
100 g of product contains 6 g of protein, 6.6 g of carbohydrates and 5.6 g of ash. Fats in the sauce are practically absent.
Effect on the body
It makes sense to talk about the benefits of soy sauce if you mean a real product obtained by fermenting beans and wheat.
From a medical point of view, soy sauce is a healthy product that can support the natural physiological processes in the body and prevent the development of pathologies. Moreover, moderate consumption of the product is the key not only to well-being and physical activity, but also to preserve youth.
The most valuable beneficial properties of soy sauce:
- the ability to reduce the number of free radicals, due to the large number of antioxidants in its composition, and thus slow down the aging process, prevent the formation of tumors, prevent exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- improved blood circulation;
- increases vascular elasticity;
- soy amino acids make up for the lack of protein and are involved in building muscle tissue;
- the presence of lysine is the key to increasing the absorption of calcium;
- thanks to vitamin C, the product supports the immune system and prevents infection;
- has the ability to improve metabolism, helps to lose weight;
- glutamic acid emphasizes the taste of dishes, making them brighter and more saturated.
In addition, soy sauce relieves headaches, helps in the fight against insomnia and depression, reduces irritability and nervousness, eliminates muscle cramps and swelling.
Due to the pronounced therapeutic effect of soy sauce, the product is recommended for use in cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, chronic cholecystitis, arthritis, arthrosis and chronic constipation.
The benefits of soy sauce for women
According to experts, the benefits of soy sauce for women deserve special attention. The fermented product is rich in phytoestrogens and isoflavones. A large number of these plant compounds are found in soy and wheat, respectively, and soy sauce is saturated with substances necessary for the female body.
The value of phytoestrogens for women lies in their ability to prolong the function of the natural hormone of the female body estrogen.
Thus, isoflavones:
- compensate for the lack of natural hormones, the amount of which decreases in menopause;
- eliminate the discomfort associated with the onset of menopause;
- relieves pain during menstruation;
- prevents the development of breast cancer.
Women who regularly eat soy sauce look, as a rule, younger and are in good health.
How to use for weight loss
Many nutritionists strongly recommend that their wards introduce soy sauce into the diet. This is explained not only by the low calorie content of the product, but also by its special properties. First of all, the ability to accelerate the metabolism and quality of metabolic processes.
In addition, soy sauce contributes to weight loss, as it contains probiotics that normalize digestion and increase the absorption of nutrients.
And if you replace soy sauce with oil dressings for dishes, you can reduce the total number of calories in the diet.
The main thing is not to exceed the recommended norm of the product - one tablespoon per day, if you eat salty foods, and two tablespoons of sauce, subject to a complete rejection of salt in the diet.
Useful properties of soy sauce for the digestive tract
Despite the fact that the use of soy sauce in acute forms of gastrointestinal tract pathologies is prohibited, it is recommended to use its therapeutic effect during remissions for chronic gastritis and pancreatitis.
Probiotics in the composition of soy sauce normalize the level of microflora in the intestine, suppress pathogenic processes, improve digestion and promote the absorption of substances valuable to human health.
Thus, the load on the digestive organs is reduced, and pathological processes are slowed down until it is completely stopped.
Cooking Application
The content of a large amount of glutamic acid in the composition of soy sauce can improve the taste of any dish with it. The product is used for the preparation of meat, fish and seafood, marinades and other types of sauces are prepared on its basis, salads and first courses are seasoned with it.
The use of soy sauce allows you to almost completely abandon salt, as well as replace oil, seasonings or mayonnaise.
How to choose soy sauce
The trading network presents a large number of varieties of sauce made by different manufacturers and differing in price.
To purchase a really useful product, when choosing it, it is appropriate to use the following recommendations:
- soy sauce made according to classical technology is able to maintain taste for a long time and does not need to be added preservatives. If the label indicates food additives labeled "E", then this is a low-quality product;
- a good sauce cannot be cheap. The manufacturing process takes at least six months, which affects the cost of the product;
- The composition of the natural sauce includes soy, wheat, water and salt. Any other components are inappropriate and reduce its quality;
- an indicator of quality can also be regarded as an indication of the method of preparation of the sauce - the word "fermented" next to the name on the label;
- high-quality product is uniform and transparent;
- the protein content in natural soy sauce cannot be less than 7%.
To choose a quality product, you need to pay attention not only to its composition, but also to the container in which the sauce is packaged.
High-quality soy sauce cannot be poured into plastic containers - as a rule, manufacturers choose this way, trying to reduce the cost of the product to the utmost.
Contraindications and harm
In some cases, the use of soy sauce can cause serious harm to health. The use of the product is not recommended for people suffering from acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or salt deposition.
In addition, you should limit the consumption of soy sauce for children - in children under the age of three, the product can cause allergic reactions. And older children, frequent use of sauce adversely affects the functionality of the endocrine system.
A risk group also includes pregnant women. Soy sauce contains isoflavones, the effect of which is similar to the functions of the sex hormone estrogen. The impact of these substances negatively affects the development of the brain of the fetus. To avoid the unjustified risk of miscarriage, during pregnancy should completely abandon the use of soy sauce in food.
Like most products, soy sauce is beneficial if you follow the measure and do not overload the daily diet with excessive amounts.
