Ingredient Information

Function

Soy sauce is a condiment used to season food products during cooking or at the table. It offers a distinct and strong flavor, aroma and texture to Asian cuisine and other food products. It has a long shelf-life, and can be kept at home for culinary use. It is a healthy seasoning choice for meat, seafood and Asian dishes due to its rich content of vitamins and minerals.

Other Use and Industries

NONE KNOWN

Health Effects

The National University of Singapore suggests that, based on conducted studies, Chinese dark soy sauce contains 10 times more effective antioxidants than red wine. Therefore, it effectively helps in preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Soy sauce also raises the level of HDL (good cholesterol) in the body. A study called “Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Soy Sauce Mash in Thailand,” published in the Journal of General and Applied Microbiology, suggests that soy sauce is rich in lactic acid bacteria and contains potential anti-allergic components.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, manganese found in soy sauce helps in the formation of connective tissue. A potent antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase found in soy sauce fights free radicals that damage cell membranes and DNA. Neutralizing free radicals slows the aging process and reduces the risk of cancer.

An essential amino acid called tryptophan, responsible for mood stability and healthy sleep can be obtained from just 1 tbsp of soy sauce. In fact, a study conducted by S. Steinberg and colleagues, published in the February 1999 issue of “Biological Psychiatry,” indicated that tryptophan further increases serotonin synthesis in the body which controls irritability and negative moods in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Since its production requires wheat, those suffering from gluten allergies should not consume soy sauce.

Soy sauce has a high sodium content.

Origins

Soy sauce is a traditional Asian condiment that is now popular all over the world. It is native to China. Soy sauce is produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus sojae molds or Aspergillus oryzae, water and salt. The fermentation process results in fermented soybean paste called miso, which is then pressed. This results in two by-products, soy sauce and soy residue.

Soy sauce can also be prepared by hydrolysis, which involves acid-hydrolyzed soy protein. Boiled soybeans and roasted wheat are mixed together with a mold spore to facilitate fermentation and yeast production. A saline solution is then added to the mold dish so that the mold ferments the saline solution, producing lactic acid and alcohol via mold and yeast, respectively. The solution is then separated into liquid and solid. The liquid is used as soy sauce.