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Low-Sodium Soy Sauce Fails to Ease Burn Pain

Q. I burned my thumb on a pan of roasted veggies last night. I remembered your advice and reached for the tamari soy sauce. (I had a low sodium variety.)

To my dismay, when I applied it to my thumb, it didn’t work to ease the pain as it has in the past. I was puzzled and tried it a few more times, but got no pain relief.

I looked in the cupboard and spotted Bragg Liquid Aminos (a substitute for soy sauce, also made from soy beans) and sprayed some on. I got INSTANT relief, and I mean INSTANT! I was back to my knitting in half an hour.

A. Thanks for the clue. Most readers have reported that soy sauce eases the pain of a burn, but it may require a certain amount of sodium. Bragg Liquid Aminos has 30 to 40 percent more sodium than low-sodium tamari. A serious burn should get medical attention, of course.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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