Dark soya better than wine

published by Asianpost on Tue, 06/20/2006 - 17:46

Dark soya sauce, widely used in Asian cooking, may prove to be more effective than red wine and vitamin C in combating human cell damage, researchers in Singapore say.

Scientists have found that the sauce - derived from fermented soya beans - contains antioxidant properties about 10 times more effective than red wine and 150 times more potent than vitamin C, Singapore's Strait Times reported.

Antioxidants - found in fruits and vegetables, as well as red wine - counter the effects of free radicals, unstable atoms which attack human cells and tissues.

Free radicals have been linked to the ageing process as well as a range of ailments including Parkinson's disease, cancer and heart disease.

The National University of Singapore study also found that the sauce improved blood flow by as much as 50 per cent in the hours after consumption.

"There's a preventative aspect, showing that it may potentially slow down the rate of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases," research team leader Professor Barry Halliwell said.

But he cautioned against taking large amounts of dark soya sauce because of its high salt content, which could lead to high blood pressure.