It was a fairly easy conversion for me, and a not very easy one for DH. I already knew there were problems with soy sauce - high in sodium, filled with msg and made from GMO soy and wheat, with tons of nasty additives to boot (gross), and I loved Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, so it seemed a healthy alternative. DH was never sold on the taste, though, so I used it mainly while cooking.
Recently, though, I have dived headfirst into cultured/fermented foods. What I found when I got to soy sauce and its alternatives was surprising.
So below are the top reasons I will no longer be buying Bragg Liquid Aminos (BLA).
1) There's nothing natural about the chemical process used to make BLA
According to The History of Soy Sauce (160 CE to 2012) by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyag, BLA is simply "HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein) made by a quick and unnatural/artificial process, [whereby] soybeans, wheat, and/or corn are immersed into hydrochloric acid until, after 1-3 days, the acid has broken down the protein into its constituent amino acids." The remaining acid is then neutralized by adding sodium bicarbonate. This subsequently creates sodium chloride, which gives the aminos the salty taste (not the soy beans themselves, as claimed by the Bragg website).
This whole process can be produced naturally through fermentation, though it takes longer (at least 4-6 months) and is how true soy sauce and tamari are made (although it occurred to me that you could make BLA naturally by eating some soy beans, throwing them up, and adding baking soda - yum!). Personally, I'd rather take the natural fermented route than the chemical shortcut, although since Bragg admitted to using the heated/hydrochloric process, debate has sprung up on both sides, so you will have to be the judge on that one.
2) It's not that low in sodium
BLA is often touted as a lower-sodium alternative to soy sauce. While it does typically have less sodium than super processed not-naturally-brewed soy sauce, it is actually pretty high up there in overall content, and compared to tamari, often has more sodium. For instance, BLA contains 320 mg of sodium in 1 tsp; tamari averages around 233-335 mg of sodium per tsp.
If you are looking for a low-sodium diet, I suggest you stay away from these soy products altogether as BLA still sports almost 1000 mg of sodium per tbls, which is a much more useful measurement based on how most people use these condiments. I am not someone who worries about my sodium too much, but it really bothers me when a product uses deceptive marketing (for instance, using smaller serving sizes - just 1/2 tsp - than typical soy sauce or tamari packages) to promote a product as something it is not.
3) It's not fermented
Soy contains a high amount of phytic acid. While phytic acid can be beneficial in some cases, for the most part, it's something you don't want to consume a lot of because it binds to minerals, proteins, and starches. When consumed in large amounts, it can block the uptake of essential minerals, like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and especially zinc in the intestinal tract, as well as iodine which is required for proper growth and metabolism. If your diet is high in iron, phytic acid can help to prevent iron build up, but it's also going to be blocking other essential minerals, which for most people on a typical western diet can be extremely detrimental.
In addition, soy has phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone, oestrogen. Those who consume a lot of unfermented soy (in particular infants on soy formula) are basically consuming the equivalent of multiple birth control pills every day.
Some other downsides to unfermented soy include:
- Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfering with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
- Soy phytoestrogens disrupting endocrine function and having the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
- Soy phytoestrogens are potent anti-thyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.
Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
- Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
Most of these problems disappear when you ferment soy, which neutralizes the phytic acid and also provides good bacteria for the digestive system. BLA is not fermented; both naturally-brewed soy sauce and tamari are fermented.
Ok, so what to use instead?
My vote is for organic, non-gmo tamari. Unlike many soy sauces which are not naturally-brewed (fermented), most tamari brands available are, in fact, fermented. They typically contain less sodium and much less wheat (in some instances no wheat) than soy sauce. Tamari also provides niacin (vitamin B3), manganese, and mood-enhancing tryptophan, and contains more protein than regular soy sauce, but also includes all the antioxidants (comparable to red wine) and isoflavones (prevent heart disease) of soy sauce.
If you are looking for a soy-free alternative, or are trying to get rid of MSG (which even when not added, is naturally present in soy sauce, tamari, and BLA), then it seems coconut aminos might be the way to go. The taste may take some getting used to, but it has less sodium than the above options and just as many (if not more) antioxidants, as well as B and C vitamins.
The debate over soy-based condiments is heated, and there are arguments on many sides. I'm wondering what sauce (if any) others are using?
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