Here’s how much soy sauce you can consume in a day

It’s been a practice among Filipinos to use condiments to spice up their food, but what is the healthy amount for a person to consume in a day?

In a “PinoyMD” episode, dietitian-nutritionist Gelo Cruz shared some of the health benefits of sauces and what is the right amount to be taken by a person in one day.

Cruz said that for soy sauce, the quality depended on how it was processed.

“’Yung commercialized, chemical, faster and cheaper, less attractive in taste and in aroma. The proper taste in aroma which is attained through traditional fermentation, nawawala na siya doon pagka nag-chemical method ka na,” he said.

One tablespoon of soy sauce contains 65 mg of potassium, 0.7 g of carbohydrates, 12 g of protein, and 8 calories.

It is high in sodium, containing 824 mg per tablespoon.

According to the 2015 Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes of Food and Nutrition Research Institute, approximately 500 mg of sodium is the recommended intake for adults.

Cruz, however, recommended 1 teaspoon or 275 mg of soy sauce intake per day in case the person consumes other sources of sodium throughout the day.

Vinegar, meanwhile, is “basically fermented liquid lang sya. So may bacteria called acetobacter, ico-combine siya with oxygen and the fermented liquid forming acetic acid or also known as vinegar.”

He said vinegar promoted “the growth of healthy bacteria in the stomach. Sa stomach natin, meron na tayong mga probiotics, mga good bacteria  pagka-meron tayong intake ng vinegar naman, nabibigyan pa natin ng tulong yung good bacteria natin na maggrow at magfunction ng maayos.”

For patis or fish sauce, Cruz explained it as “natural bacteria, it starts to break down the fish, producing a brine o yung liquid. Hence yung ating patis.”

One teaspoon contains 1.75 calories, 0.18 g carbohydrates, and 0.25 g protein.

Just like soy sauce, it is high in sodium, containing 393 mg in one teaspoon.

According to PinoyMD, 5 grams or one teaspoon of fish sauce is the recommended intake for adults per day by the World Health Organization.

Cruz said sodium helps balance fluids in the body but too much of it can cause complications.

“’Pagka sobra naman yung intake natin ng sodium, ayun typical, hypertension kasi sodium helps retain excess fluid in the body which creates an added burden to the heart,” Cruz said. – Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/RC, GMA News