Gochujang is a Korean spice that you might be familiar with if you have ever tried Korean barbecue. Its ingredients are hot red chili, soybean fermented, and glutinous rice.
Its name is derived from the Korean chili ( gochu) and the Korean word for paste ( Jang). Although it’s certainly an enjoyable condiment to your food, is it healthy? Let’s look at the gochujang nutritional profile and what benefits it is.
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Gochujang Nutrition Facts| Vitamins
In general, gochujang is not a good food source for any vitamins. It’s not a superfood in that it does not contain excessive amounts of anything, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not a good source of essential nutrients.
The ingredients of Gochujang comprise chili peppers and soy protein, both of which are high in vitamin content. The brand of gochujang and the portion size makes it possible to get small quantities of nutrients from its components. Chili peppers are a good source of vitamin A. Additionally, some gochujang will give you little quantities of vitamins. Vitamin A is essential for eye health as well as cancer prevention.
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Gochujang may also have vitamin C, which is also found in the red pepper used to make the paste of spices. Vitamin C can be essential to maintain the health of your immune system and absorption of iron. Soy and pepper in gochujang contain various B vitamins, so you will get some thiamin, Riboflavin, and peroxide with every serving.
Protein
People who love Korean foods can count on gochujang to give umami in addition to color and heat. The umami-like flavor is due to the soybean component of the spice paste, But soybeans are more than simply flavor. Soybeans are a fantastic source of protein, which the body needs to construct muscles and other tissues.
Minerals
Similar to minerals, vitamins are found in gochujang. However, it doesn’t provide many minerals. It is possible to find very small amounts of minerals usually found in soybean and red pepper.
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For instance, certain gochujang brands will supply the user with iron. The body utilizes iron to create red blood cells. The fermented soybeans contain huge quantities of magnesium, calcium, and other essential minerals. You are likely to find some of it with the gochujang. Both magnesium and calcium are essential for the development of strong bones. This is why they are beneficial in preventing osteoporosis and loss in bone density which is an underlying feature of osteoporosis.
The red pepper in gochujang is an excellent potential source. Potassium is an essential nutritional element that helps maintain the volume of cell fluids and transmit electrical signals.
Capsaicin
Gochujang’s most famous feature is its reputation as a hot condiment. Some people think it’s to be the Korean equivalent to hot sauce. The heat is derived from red chilies that are hot due to their capsaicin. Capsaicin is the chemical found in every chili pepper, which produces its hotness and is one of the main components of the gochujang nutritional profile.
Capsaicin has numerous health benefits, in addition to its spicy flavor. It is a well-known cancer fighter that can trigger cells to die in the breast cancer cell. It can also help in fighting prostate cancer. Other advantages include its capacity to reduce symptoms of gastric ulcers by triggering it to release mucus and its anti-inflammatory properties.
Sugar, Fat, and Carbs
An essential aspect of delving into gochujang’s nutritional value is determining the level of substances that could be harmful to health. The good news is that there’s plenty to love with this, making it an excellent spice for all. Gochujang is very low in:
- Fat Gochujang does not contain fat and, therefore, it’s also cholesterol-free.
- Sugar Gochujang has only a tiny quantity of sugar.
- Carbohydrates The portion of gochujang has a tiny amount of carbohydrates.