Can I Use Bragg’s Amino Acids on the Paleo Diet?
Have a quick peruse of the Bragg’s Amino Acid Website, and you’ll see a list of health benefits:
- A source of delicious, nutritious, life-renewing protein.
- Taste you’ll love – Nutrition you need.
- Great on salads, veggies, dressings, soups, rice, beans, Wok foods, tofu, gravies, jerky, poultry, fish, popcorn, meats, casseroles, potatoes, etc
- Contains important healthy amino acids
And a seemingly benign ingredient panel that contains:
- no chemicals
- no artificial coloring
- no alcohol
- no preservatives
- no Gluten
- Certified NON-GMO
OK to proceed then? Unfortunately, no. Read further to see:
“Bragg Liquid Aminos is a Certified NON-GMO liquid protein concentrate, derived from healthy soybeans…”
Soy, being a legume, is not part of the Paleo diet. Remember, all legumes are rich in anti nutrients and as a result, quite inflammatory. Unfortunately, soy is found all over the place, even in surprising places; its high glutamic acid content makes it a great chemical meat tenderizer, so you’ll see it in marinades, sauces and many commercially available prepared meat products, such as jerky.
Let’s face it, America is addicted to salt just as much as sugar, and for many, piling it on is one of the first issues to address when going full Paleo.
Some suggest using coconut aminos in place of Braggs. Is this a good option?
Being that the ingredients are simply coconut sap and mineral rich sea salt, I’d say it’s a step in the right direction, but again, adding salt to the diet is not one of the goals of a True Paleo regime.
This doesn’t mean that athletes should skip replacing electrolytes, nor does it mean that someone who doesn’t happen to be an athlete yet is still getting out there, sweating, should ‘never add salt’; rather, the general trend needs to be avoiding eating foods with added salt.
The best case scenario would be to skip both all together and simply use fresh herbs, spices or even (gasp) just let the proteins and veggies stand on their own and taste their natural flavors. After all, in season produce, and naturally raised or wild meat and fish truly have a devine taste all of their own.
Give it a try!
