Sauces are a staple in many Malaysians’ daily meals — from porridge and dry noodles to blanched vegetables, a dip often feels essential for flavour. However, doctors warn that these “soul sauces” may be silently pushing kidney patients closer to dialysis.
According to recommendations by the World Health Organization and Malaysia’s Ministry of Health, adults should limit daily sodium intake to the equivalent of 5g of salt, or no more than 2,400mg of sodium. Yet many commercially available sauces contain alarmingly high sodium levels. Just 15ml of soy sauce can contain nearly 1,000mg of sodium, meaning two tablespoons may already exceed the daily limit.
Nephrologist Dr Hong Yong Xiang cautioned that processed sauces high in sodium, phosphorus and sugar are among the most overlooked “hidden killers” for people with chronic kidney disease.
Dr Hong shared a case on his Facebook page involving a 65-year-old man with hypertension and stage three chronic kidney disease who believed he ate healthily, did not smoke or drink, and rarely added salt to his food. However, he consumed large amounts of spicy fermented bean paste daily — mixing several spoonfuls into porridge for breakfast, noodles for lunch and vegetables for dinner.
Within just three months, the man’s creatinine level surged from 2.1 to 3.5, blood phosphorus rose to 7.8, blood pressure consistently exceeded 180mmHg, and he developed severe leg swelling. Dr Hong likened the kidneys to a cracked water filter, explaining that excessive sodium acts like a high-pressure water jet, relentlessly damaging the kidney’s filtration barrier and accelerating deterioration.
After strictly eliminating sauces from his diet, the patient’s kidney indicators showed significant improvement within three months.
Dr Hong also revealed his list of the “Top 5 Kidney-Damaging Sauces”. Topping the list is spicy fermented bean paste, which contains up to 7,000mg of sodium and over 500mg of inorganic phosphorus per 100g. Second is thick soy sauce, which often contains modified starch and excessive salt for texture. Third is ketchup, with nearly one-third of its content made up of sugar, often including high-fructose corn syrup. Fourth is satay sauce, which is high in phosphorus and potassium due to dried seafood ingredients. Fifth is mayonnaise, made up of 70–80% fat, increasing the risk of high cholesterol and vascular hardening.
To protect kidney health, Dr Hong advised replacing salty sauces with natural flavourings such as spring onions, ginger, garlic, onions and chillies, or using lemon juice and white vinegar instead. “Cutting back on sauces doesn’t mean sacrificing taste,” he said, “but it could prevent silently overdrawing your kidney health in the long run.”
