Most of us are familiar with soy sauce, whether as a flavor-enhancer for sushi, noodles, or rice, or even as an ingredient in creative ice cream flavors.
However, while it’s a staple in kitchens across the globe, consuming an excessive amount of this salty condiment can be hazardous to your health—dangerously so.
Soy sauce owes much of its appeal to its high salt content. Just one tablespoon of the stuff packs in more than a third of your recommended daily intake of sodium, making it easy to overdo it without even realizing it.
While using soy sauce in moderation adds flavor to your dishes, drinking it directly or consuming it in large quantities can lead to serious health consequences.
How soy sauce can be deadly
Soy sauce has made headlines for its deadly potential, with multiple reports of people overdosing on the condiment. The most alarming cases often involve individuals who drink the sauce intentionally, either as a challenge or tragically, in some cases, as a form of suicide.
The core danger of soy sauce comes from its overwhelming salt content, which can lead to a condition known as hypernatremia—a dangerously high sodium level in the blood.
One notable case occurred in 2013, when a 19-year-old man drank an entire quart of soy sauce—almost a liter of the stuff.
He was found unresponsive and rushed to the emergency room, where emergency physician David J. Carlberg described the situation: “He didn't respond to any of the stimuli that we gave him,” Carlberg told NBC. “He had some clonus, which is just elevated reflexes. Basically, the nervous system wasn't working very well.”
Hypernatremia, the condition caused by too much sodium, results in the body attempting to balance its salt levels by drawing water out of cells and tissues.
This can cause severe dehydration and result in complications such as fluid buildup in the lungs and brain shrinkage, both of which can be fatal. Seizures and unconsciousness are common neurological symptoms of this imbalance.
Fortunately, the young man survived, thanks to quick intervention. Within four hours of ingesting the soy sauce, doctors began treating him with 6 liters of sugary fluid via IV to reduce his sodium levels. The rapid intervention allowed his sodium levels to return to normal, although his consciousness did not fully return for three days.
Remarkably, this patient survived a sodium level so high that it had never been recorded in an adult who did not die or suffer permanent brain damage. The case study revealed that a fatal dose of sodium could occur with as little as 0.5 to 1 gram of salt per kilogram of body weight—less than half the amount the man ingested.
A cautionary tale for soy sauce lovers
This incident serves as a stark reminder of how dangerously easy it is to overdose on soy sauce.
The toxic effects of consuming too much are not always obvious, and in some cases, the damage can be irreversible.
While adding soy sauce to your meals is generally safe when used in moderation, overindulgence can land you in the emergency room—or worse.
Next time you're tempted to go heavy-handed with the soy sauce on your noodles or sushi, it might be wise to reconsider.
It’s a delicious and versatile condiment, but drinking it straight or using it excessively in cooking can lead to serious health issues.
So, enjoy your soy sauce in moderation, and steer clear of the extremes that can turn your meal into a medical emergency.