Tomato sauce and chili sauce can be dangerous if consumed too often

If you are eating fried foods, it will be incomplete without tomato sauce or chili sauce. Both types of sauces can indeed add distinctive flavors to various types of food.

The sauce is indeed made from natural ingredients, namely tomatoes and chilies. However, it does not mean that both are healthy and can be consumed as much as possible. Without realizing it, there is a hidden danger if you often eat bottled sauce.

More details, consider the various benefits and dangers of tomato sauce and chili sauce below.

Benefits of tomato sauce and chili sauce

Actually, eating fresh tomatoes and chilies is better for health. However, you can still get various benefits of tomatoes and peppers from packaged sauces. Here it is the benefit.

Rich in vitamins A and C.

Tomatoes and chilies are high in vitamins A and C. These two types of vitamins cannot be produced by the body so you need both intake from food. In your body, vitamin A functions to maintain healthy eyes, skin, bones and teeth. Meanwhile, vitamin C is needed by the immune system to fight disease.

Contains antioxidants

Bright red fruits like tomatoes and red chilies contain a special carotenoid called lycopene. Lycopene itself functions as an antioxidant that can ward off free radicals, prevent cell damage, as well as repair damaged cells. This content is also known to be able to prevent the growth of cancer cells in your body.

Low in fat and calories

When compared to other sauces such as mayonnaise or Thousand Island, chili sauce and tomatoes are indeed lower in fat and calories. So, you can eat your food with chili sauce and tomatoes without adding too many calories.

The danger of eating too much tomato sauce and chili sauce

Although tomato sauce and chili sauce are actually quite healthy choices, consuming them too often also has health risks. Pay attention to the following things, yes.

High salt content

Without realizing it, tomato sauce and packaged chili sauce are high sources of sodium. The reason is, the packaged sauce has added a lot of salt which contains sodium. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the food regulatory agency in the UK, foods that are high in salt contain 0.5 to 0.6 grams of sodium per 100 grams. Meanwhile, bottled sauces contain up to 1.2 grams of sodium per 100 grams.

This means that packaged sauces are very high in salt content. Most of the consumption of salt itself can cause various health problems. Among them are hypertension, heart disease and stroke.

High in sugar

Apart from being high in salt, tomato sauce and chilies are also high in sugar. In one tablespoon of bottled sauce, you can get up to four grams of sugar intake. Even though one meal, you may use up to five tablespoons of chili sauce, which means 20 grams of sugar. Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Health, in a day you should not consume more than 50 grams of sugar.

Not to mention if you use chili sauce and sauce as a dip for fried potatoes or tofu flour. The sugar content of the foods themselves is high enough without the added sugar from bottled sauces. So, it's best to limit your consumption of sauce to taste.

x