Fish sauce

Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish. It is often used to flavor rice and other dishes. For young children, it is not good.

Why limit fish sauce for young children
As with other seasonings, such as glutamate, nutritional experts recommend that you don’t add fish sauce in meals of children younger than 1 year of age. But even older children should not consume too much of it, because fish sauce contains a high level of salt, which can damage a child’s kidneys.

When to avoid fish sauce entirely
Since fish sauce contains a high level of salt, anyone — whether an adult or a kid — who has kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease should avoid it. Also, if Your Child has a fish allergy, do not use fish sauce in preparing their meal. Contact your doctor if your child has a fish allergy for expert advice.

How fish sauce can affect children

• Kidney problems: Fish sauce contains a high level of salt, which can damage a child’s kidneys.
• Poor diet: Consuming too much fish sauce is not compatible with a healthy diet, because fish sauce does not contain many other nutrients.
• Increased blood pressure: Consuming too much fish sauce might increase your child’s blood pressure and affect the heart.
• Accumulation of histamine: Fish sauce is rich in histidine, an amino acid that may have specific antioxidant properties but may be used by microorganisms to form histamine. If histamine accumulates in the body, it causes food poisoning.

Tips for choosing the right fish sauce
Always check the label of the fish sauce you are buying, and do not buy fish sauces that contain less than 10g of protein. Generally, go for those with a protein level of 25g and above. But even the best fish sauce should be served with caution to young children.