Dark soya sauce better than wine? Only in their little research world!

GOON-DUK adj. Tamil word for schmuck (qualifies as a Kuching Hokkien word because I want it too)

REUTERS, the London based news service agency, are constantly looking for exclusive news story. Call or text them on +44 20 7250 1122 if you have any new gossip. This particularly Reuters scoop originated from the super-hip land of Singapore.

The headline reads: Dark soya sauce healthier than red wine

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Dark soya sauce, widely used in east Asia, may prove to be more effective than red wine and vitamin C in combating human cell damage,
researchers in Singapore said.

Scientists found that the sauce -- derived from fermented soya beans -- contains antioxidant properties about 10 times more effective than red wine and 150 times more potent than vitamin C.

Antioxidants -- found in red wine, fruits and vegetables -- counter the effects of free radicals, unstable atoms which attack human cells and tissues.

Free radicals have been linked to the aging process as well as a range of ailments including Parkinson's disease, cancer and heart disease. The National University of Singapore study also found that the sauce improved blood flow by as much as 50 percent in the hours after consumption.

I have a problem understanding the value of this research. NUS, one of the region most respected places for generating scandalous after-college student activities, have spent all those hours just to prove that (1) soya improved blood flow (allegedly to their heads also) and (2) it contains more potent anti-oxidant activities than wine, which surprisingly is not a major export products of the island country. I think this is a case of conducting a research purely for the sake of conducting a research, and not much else.

Knowing that dark soya sauce can deliver more blood volume to the heart and brain does not add anything to our eating culture. We will still use dark soya and we will still drink wine in the same manner as before. Dark soya can never be proven to be more effective than wine in combating human cell damage, for the simple reasons that no one, even NUS-trained people, will drink soya sauce in the same quantity as wine and no ethics committee will approve any experiment involving dark soya drinking versus wine-drinking. So we will never know.

Knowing that a certain chemical, in this case, dark soya sauce, contains x amount of right juice, i.e. anti-oxidant property, does not equate to good health or longevity. We all know that the key to good health has always been having a good balance of all the right juices: fruits, vegetables, exercise, nice loving spouse and a comprehensive medical insurance.

And please, do not take large amounts of dark soya sauce in your pursuit of gaining more anti-oxidant powers. The high salt content is not good for your hair and skin. Did someone say blood pressure also?

Sisuahlai rating for this dark soya sauce research: SCIENTIFIC VALUE 0, AMUSEMENT VALUE 8