A ‘Saucy’ Salty Solution

There’s something of a disconnect between the brain and the taste buds when it comes to our eating habits.

For instance, we know that certain foods, like soup are already salty.  But our taste buds don’t know what our brain knows.  And more often than not, our tongues hold greater sway in these matters, so we pile on more salt, pleasing our taste buds, but devastating our blood pressure levels (just a teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium – the amount recommended for an entire day!).

But a new study is trying to bridge that disconnect, using something that few of us – me included – believed could actually reduce sodium levels.

Soy sauce!

That’s right, the same stuff that contains nearly 1,000 mg of sodium in a single tablespoon has been found to reduce overall salt usage during meal time when food manufacturers use it in lieu of table salt.

Researchers discovered this when making things like salad dressings, soup and stir fry – three things that are heavy on the salt (be them prepared from home or bought at the store).  When researchers then had participants partake of these typically sodium-drenched selections, they reported no difference in taste.  Even more important, the sodium content was cut by 50 percent in the salad dressing, nearly 20 percent in the soup, and nearly 30 percent in the stir-fry!

So the use of naturally brewed soy sauce – which is what the Wageningen University researchers used in the study – can essentially kill two birds with one stone:  lower the sodium content of foods, while keeping our tongues tantalized at the same time.

The study is published in the Journal of Food Science (online edition) and was conducted by researchers from Wageningen University, in consultation with researchers from the king of soy sauces, Kikkoman.

So, what bridges the gap between our brain and our taste buds?  It appears to be our nose, or more specifically, our sense of smell.  The researchers say there’s something about the aroma of the naturally-brewed elements of soy sauce that causes us to believe our foods are salty enough as-is.  It’s something the researchers refer to as odor-induced saltiness enhancement.

I’d be interested to know what kind of soy sauce the researchers used and how much they used in the production of these foods.  It’s important to know this before using any old brand of soy sauce, as there’s no doubt in my mind that soy sauces – when used too liberally – can turn a heart-healthy dish into a poisonous potion.

Thus, if you’re going to start using more soy sauce and less table salt in the making of meals, make sure you know the full details of the study, like what specific soy sauce was used (I can guarantee it was an organic one, as they themselves said it was “naturally brewed”) and what ingredients were used in the stir fry, the soup, and the salad dressing.  All these factors affect the sodium levels, not to mention how the brain and taste buds react to what’s being eaten.

I personally use Bragg Liquid Aminos.  I highly recommend this all-natural healthy seasoning. The sodium content is naturally occurring so no table salt is added.  I’m in no way affiliated with Bragg nor am I paid to promote their product.  I'm doing so because I feel it is a healthy alternative to soy sauce.  I want to thank my good friend and fitness expert Tom Venuto for introducing me to this healthy seasoning.

Again, the details are published on the Journal of Science’s Web site, but unfortunately, you must be a paid subscriber to read the study’s full details.

Source
nutraingredients.com