Trying out new Korean food requires more than just tasting it. You need to know which types of food are actually healthy and which ones are not.
Gochujang is used in many types of Korean food, without you probably know it. But is Gochujang something you must avoid or is it healthy, that’s the question a lot of people ask.
In short: Gochujang is healthy, since it stimulates fat loss, prevents heart disease, and increases metabolism. However, these benefits only apply when you eat a moderate amount of gochujang. Meaning eating too much gochujang could be unhealthy.
With that in mind, we should look further into how much gochujang you should eat.
Let’s get started.
How Often Should You Eat Gochujang?
Some people think that eating gochujang every day is healthy. But sadly, this isn’t the case. Eating any type of food every single day isn’t healthy.
Generally speaking, gochujang should be eaten twice a week at max. There’s no hard rule for this because it also depends on how much you eat.
Gojuchang sauce is made from red chili powder. This can be a bit spicy for some people, meaning that gochujang does come with side effects.
The most common side effect of gochujang is spiciness. People that can’t handle spicy food well may see some acid reflux. This could be something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, as it causes a burning feeling in the chest area.
If this keeps happening, I’d highly advise you to contact a doctor.
Now, some people that have this very often may get a very bad taste in their mouth or get a weakened stomach.
So, depending on how much gochujang you eat, As a rule of thumb, it should only be eaten twice a week.
Health Benefits of Gochujang
Gochujang does come with health benefits. Some of these are:
- Diabetes
- Increase in Metabolism
- Decreases Blood Sugar
- Weight Loss
Does Gochujang Promote Weight Loss?
You might not know it but according to Pusan National University study, gochujang may have an effect on your weight loss.
The study shows that gochujang decreases fat accumulation, which may be beneficial for your overall weight. Now, this doesn’t mean that it’ll work for anyone out there.
Considering that eating too much of any type of food will never result in weight loss, you shouldn’t expect it from gochujang.
Another study in the Journal of Food Science and Technology showed similar findings. Because of the compound found in red chili peppers, it shows that it may promote weight loss.
Besides weight loss…
…Gochujang is also known for its decrease in stress levels. The same studies show that consumption of gochujang may reduce your total cholesterol, stress, and low density. Now, you won’t notice this immediately.
However, knowing this may increase your gochujang cravings. So coming home after a long day at work, grabbing some gochujang will probably not hurt your stress.
No need to worry about your stress levels.
Nutritional Facts about Gochujang
If you didn’t know already gochujang has many nutritional facts. Some of these are:
- Vitamin C
- Protein
- Sodium
- Vitamin A
- Iron
- Dietary Fiber
Does Gochujang Contain Alcohol?
Gochujang does not contain alcohol. Gochujang is entirely made from natural ingredients, which don’t include preservatives or additives.
So, you don’t have to worry about gochujang containing alcohol. Therefore, you won’t get drunk from gochujang.
Some people think that gochujang might get them drunk, which is not the case at all. This is completely made up and taken out of air.
Is Gochujang Halal?
Gochujang is 100% halal.
Certain gochujang brands use alcohol in their fermentation process, but since this isn’t very common it’s not considered to be not-halal.
Therefore you can safely eat gochujang without worrying about it.
How Many Calories Does Gochujang Have?
If you didn’t know already, gochujang contains 0% fat.
And a tablespoon of gochujang only contains 30 calories, which isn’t a lot. So eating too much gochujang won’t cause weight gain.
However, you shouldn’t eat too much gochujang because like I said before…
Eating too much of any type of food isn’t healthy.
So, don’t eat too much gochujang in one sitting and spread it out through the week.
Conclusion
After all, gochujang is considered healthy, as long as you eat it in moderate portions. Some benefits are weight loss, reduced stress, and a decrease in blood sugar.
