Gochujang & Doenjang: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Gochujang is a red, spicy-sweet Korean paste. Doenjang is a brown, savory Korean soybean paste, a cousin of Japanese miso. Both are used by the spoonful in stews, dips and marinades. A review of Korean fermented foods describes gochujang as made from red chili powder, glutinous rice powder, soybeans and salt, and doenjang as made from fermented soybeans, sometimes with grains. [1] This page keeps the foods apart from supplements and extracts, and apart from hype. It is information only, not personal advice.

Read this first

• These are salty foods. Study authors describe gochujang as having a "high salt content," but we did not find a sodium value per spoonful in a source we could read, so we give none. Check the Nutrition Facts label. [8] [12]
• USDA has no entry for either paste. Nutrient numbers on this page come only from the studies we read, and there are few. See the table below.
• Doenjang quality varies. In a 2023 test of 36 doenjang products from small Korean makers, histamine ranged from under 1 to over 1,289 mg per kg, and Bacillus cereus was found in 5 of 36 products. [2]
• Allergy: both pastes contain soybeans, a major US allergen. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 (or your local emergency number). [14]
• MAOI antidepressants: people taking these medicines are often told to ask about fermented soy foods. Ask the prescriber or pharmacist. [15]
• Evidence in one line: most findings on these pastes come from animals and the lab; the one human trial of gochujang had no placebo group. [7]

What is in it (what the sources we read say)

We looked for USDA values and found none for gochujang or doenjang (compare miso, which USDA does list). We did not find a peer-reviewed table of sodium, protein or fiber per 100 g that we could read. So there is no nutrient table here, and we will not invent one. What we could verify:

Fermentation turns some soy isoflavones into a different form (aglycones), according to the review. [1] We did not read human data showing this matters for health.

What research says

Eaten as food vs other forms. The human findings above are about the foods eaten in meals. The "extract" and "formulation" experiments in animals are not food portions. Fermented foods are also not the same as probiotic supplements; see fermented foods vs probiotic supplements. [20]

How much is a normal serving

We did not find an official serving size for these pastes in the sources we read, and no USDA household portion. Pastes are used in small spoonfuls, so check the label's serving size and Daily Value. FDA says 5% Daily Value or less for sodium is low and 20% or more is high. [12] For context, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise adults to keep sodium under 2,300 mg a day, and WHO recommends less than 2,000 mg. [12] [13] This is information, not a prescription.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Sodium: WHO says high sodium raises blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and stomach cancer. [13] People with chronic kidney disease are often given a lower limit by their care team. [19]
• Histamine and tyramine: in 36 small-maker doenjang products, histamine ranged from 0.97 to 1,289 mg per kg (9 products were over 500 mg per kg, a level the authors cite as a toxicity concern) and tyramine from 3.23 to 101 mg per kg. The authors concluded most samples were safe, with a few exceptions. [2] A review says some Asian fermented soy foods have amines above toxic levels and many countries lack rules for them. [16] Another review ties these amines to migraine and higher blood pressure, at lower amounts in people on certain medicines. [15] See histamine, tyramine and fermented foods. The lab batches with less salt had more biogenic amines, so "lower salt" does not automatically mean "lower amines." [3]
• ***Bacillus cereus*:** found in 13.88% (5 of 36) of those doenjang products, and in 3 above the Korean standard of 4 log CFU per g. [2] A lab study found B. cereus spores were more heat resistant in salty, low-water pastes such as doenjang and gochujang than in stews. [10] We did not read cooking advice from an official source.
• Aflatoxin (a mold poison): a 2025 study of 323 meju and doenjang samples reported aflatoxin contamination in many samples, and found it was lower where the microbe mix was richer. [9] We did not read exact levels or an official limit. See fermented foods safety and home fermentation risks.
• Soy allergy: soybeans are among the nine major food allergens under US law. Symptoms can include hives, swelling of the lips, face or tongue, wheezing and throat swelling. Anaphylaxis needs emergency care: call 911. [14] See food allergy basics and emergency signs.
• Wheat and gluten: the review we read does not mention wheat in these pastes, but we did not find a source on commercial recipes. Read the ingredient list if you avoid gluten. [1]
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: we did not read an official statement on these pastes. FDA notes sodium limits are lower for children under 14. [12] See foods in pregnancy.
• Thyroid medicine and soy: we did not read an official source, so we make no claim.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Read the Nutrition Facts panel for sodium. [12]
• Commercial and home-made pastes differed in microbes in one study, so labels and sources matter. [4]
• We did not read a source on storing opened tubs, so we give no storage advice. Do not ferment at home without proper guidance; see fermented foods safety and home fermentation risks.

Related pages

• Miso
• Kimchi
• Histamine, tyramine and fermented foods
• Fermented foods safety and home fermentation risks
• Soy sauce and tamari
• Food allergy basics and emergency signs