"Soy Sauce Cleanse" Caused Woman's Brain to Shut Down in Dangerous Health Fad

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In the quest for quick fixes and radical health solutions, people sometimes embrace extreme trends that can have devastating consequences.

One such case involved a woman who suffered severe brain damage after attempting a dangerous “soy sauce cleanse” in 2018. Reports indicate that she consumed an entire liter of soy sauce within two hours, resulting in life-threatening complications.

The Myth Behind the Cleanse

For centuries, soy sauce has been known for its high salt concentration, and some proponents of fringe health trends argue that its sodium content can flush out toxins.

But this notion is unfounded and extremely dangerous, as this case tragically illustrates. The 39-year-old woman, whose identity was not disclosed, went into cardiac arrest shortly after ingesting the enormous amount of soy sauce. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors struggled to stabilize her condition. She fell in and out of consciousness, and her situation deteriorated rapidly.

Days later, she awoke but faced severe neurological impairments. She was unable to speak, swallow, or move. Medical experts diagnosed her with central pontine myelinolysis—a severe neurological disorder caused by a rapid rise in sodium levels—which took her months to recover from.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this condition occurs when excess sodium dehydrates brain cells by drawing out water, leading to significant nerve damage. The potential consequences of this disorder are grim: muscle paralysis, coma, or even death.

The Science of Sodium Overload

The woman had consumed approximately 200 grams of sodium, five times the lethal dose, in just under 2 hours. Typically, the body reacts to such an overdose by inducing vomiting, but in this case, the woman’s body did not.

While sodium is essential for maintaining the delicate balance of fluids in and around cells, including brain cells, consuming an overwhelming amount of sodium quickly throws off this balance. This imbalance can have disastrous effects on the brain and other organ systems, as evidenced by this tragic case.

A Cautionary Tale for All

Nutrition expert Frances Largeman-Roth, author of Eating in Color, stressed that many so-called “cleanses” can be harmful. “If something sounds too good to be true or a little nutty, like telling you to eat one thing only, then it probably is too good to be true,” she noted.

The harrowing case of this woman’s attempt at a soy sauce cleanse serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers of extreme health trends. Quick fixes and detoxes may seem tempting, but they often come with serious risks.

Before trying any drastic dietary change, it’s crucial to seek advice from qualified health professionals. Your body’s balance is delicate—reckless experimentation can lead to life-altering consequences.