The Many Benefits of Iron-Fortified Soy Sauce: Three Things to Note When Choosing
To improve the nutritional status of residents, provinces and regions such as Shaanxi, Shandong, and Zhejiang have recently begun to promote the consumption of iron-fortified soy sauce on a large scale. It is understood that many Xi'an citizens are not very familiar with what iron-fortified soy sauce is and its benefits. For this reason, a reporter specially interviewed relevant experts.
Iron Deficiency is Related to Dietary Structure
Nutrition experts told reporters that iron deficiency is related to the dietary structure of Chinese people. Our diet is generally based on rice, flour, and vegetables. This plant-based diet itself contains relatively little iron, mainly in the form of phytate iron and oxalate iron, which is not easily absorbed by the human body. Generally, only 2% to 3% can be absorbed, which leads to iron deficiency. Iron deficiency can easily cause anemia. Currently, the incidence of iron-deficiency anemia in China's population is as high as 15%—20%, which means that about 200 million people in our country suffer from iron-deficiency anemia and iron malnutrition.
Iron is a substance essential for transporting and exchanging oxygen in the blood. If the human body lacks iron, it will lead to a decline in various physiological functions, such as memory, immune regulation, and temperature adaptation. According to experts, the IQ of children with long-term iron deficiency is 5 to 7 points lower than that of normal children. Pregnant women with iron deficiency are more prone to anemia, which directly affects fetal development and newborn health. Adults with iron deficiency will experience weakness in the limbs and reduced work efficiency.
Therefore, in our daily diet, we need to make appropriate supplements, especially using iron-fortified soy sauce to supplement iron, which is a very good method.
Iron-Fortified Soy Sauce is Not Expensive
In fact, the price of iron-fortified soy sauce is not very expensive. Compared to regular soy sauce, the extra cost per day can be calculated in cents. Reporters learned from major supermarkets that there are many brands and flavors of soy sauce. Among them, two 500ml soy sauces with an iron fortification标志 are priced at 7.5 yuan and 5.6 yuan respectively, only slightly higher than regular soy sauce.
However, many consumers have concerns about consuming iron-fortified soy sauce: "If my body doesn't lack iron, will eating this iron-fortified soy sauce too often have adverse effects on my body?"
In fact, the human body has self-regulation for iron intake and is not controlled by iron supplementation. When you are deficient in iron, the absorption rate will naturally increase to 10%—15%. If the iron nutritional status is good, the absorption rate will quickly drop to only 1%—2%. Additionally, the extra iron for non-anemic people will be converted to stored iron. The human body's ability to store iron is very strong. Besides, the iron content in soy sauce is not excessive, with only about 175—210 milligrams per 100ml.
In addition to supplementing iron with iron-fortified soy sauce, you can also supplement iron through your daily diet, such as eating more eggs, animal livers, lean meat, etc. After a few weeks, your hemoglobin levels will rise, and the discomfort symptoms caused by iron deficiency will gradually disappear.
Three Things to Note When Choosing
When consumers face a dazzling array of soy sauce products, how should they choose soy sauce with iron fortification function? Experts remind consumers to pay attention to three things when purchasing soy sauce.
First, look for the label: Iron-fortified soy sauce is another national nutrition improvement project following iodized salt. To distinguish it from regular soy sauce, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the China Condiment Association have jointly launched the iron-fortified soy sauce logo. Therefore, the packaging of iron-fortified soy sauce has a clear iron fortification标志.
Second, look at the content: Iron-fortified soy sauce specifies the iron additive added—sodium iron EDTA (EDTA sodium iron), and clearly states that the content of EDTA sodium iron is 175—210 mg/100ml.
Third, look at the manufacturer: To ensure quality, an expert group composed of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the China Condiment Association, and the Ministry of Health's Health Supervision Center conducts acceptance tests such as HACCP and laboratory inspections on applicant enterprises with an annual output of 10,000 tons and good production and experimental conditions. After passing a series of strict assessments, the iron-fortified soy sauce logo is issued. Reporter Yang Na