Hoisin sauce: 258 mg of sodium in a tablespoon

Hoisin sauce matters for health through its sodium, and the evidence on cutting sodium is strong. In a meta-analysis of 35 randomized trials in 2,885 adults already taking blood pressure drugs, systolic pressure fell 6.81 mmHg (95% CI 4.96 to 8.66) for every 100 mmol less sodium a day. That 100 mmol is 2,300 mg, about nine tablespoons of hoisin, so the finding is about total daily sodium. We found no trial of hoisin sauce itself. One tablespoon weighs 16 g and carries about 258 mg of sodium, roughly 11% of the Daily Value. USDA calculated that from the 100 g figure rather than weighing a real spoonful, and a spoon in a recipe is often bigger. The 100 g figure, 1,615 mg, rests on a single legacy record with no second independent number. Brands and markets differ widely. In a label survey of sauces sold in Beijing, Shijiazhuang and London from 2015 to 2017, only 4.5% of hoisin sauces on sale in China met the UK 2017 salt target. That survey read labels and ran no lab analysis, and the UK and China gap for hoisin alone sat right at the edge of significance (p = 0.05).

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• A label survey of sauces sold in Beijing, Shijiazhuang and London found that only 4.5% of hoisin sauces on sale in China met the UK 2017 salt target for the category. — sauce products surveyed from nutrition information panels at major retailers in London, Beijing and Shijiazhuang, 2015 to 2017 Evidence C source
  4.5% of Chinese hoisin sauces met the UK 2017 salt target, and Chinese sauces overall held on average 4.4 times the salt of UK equivalents

What a real portion looks like

• One tablespoon of hoisin sauce weighs 16 g in the US dietary survey database and carries about 258 mg of sodium, roughly 11% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value. — USDA FNDDS survey food Hoisin sauce, food code 41420250, WWEIA category soy-based condiments Evidence E source
  1 tablespoon = 16 g = 258.4 mg sodium, recalculated from 1,615 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What it does to your health

• According to a meta-analysis of 36 cluster randomized trials with 66,803 people, population sodium reduction programs lowered office systolic blood pressure by 2.64 mmHg compared with usual care. — adults and children in 36 cluster randomized trials of community, family, school, workplace and clinic sodium reduction programs (n = 66803) Evidence A source
  Office systolic BP mean difference -2.64 mmHg (95% CI -3.48 to -1.80), larger in hypertensive and Asian cohorts, not significant in children
• In a double-blind randomized trial of 90 people with hypertension, one week of low sodium intake lowered 24-hour systolic blood pressure by 7 mmHg, while potassium and nitrate added nothing. — 90 patients with hypertension on a hand-out diet, randomized to eight combinations of sodium chloride, potassium chloride and nitrate-rich beetroot juice or placebo for one week (n = 90) Evidence B source
  Systolic BP -7 mmHg (95% CI -9 to -5) in low-sodium groups, no change in high-sodium groups

Safety, limits and interactions

• The FDA says Americans eat about 3,400 mg of sodium a day on average against a Dietary Guidelines limit of less than 2,300 mg for adults. — United States adults Evidence E source
  Average intake about 3,400 mg per day against a recommended adult limit below 2,300 mg per day
• WHO's 2024 global sodium benchmarks name hoisin among Asian-style sauces and set 680 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) as the maximum for that category, as a reformulation target for food makers. — packaged Asian-style sauces and condiments, WHO benchmark subcategory 18g Other Asian-style sauces Evidence E source
  Global benchmark 680 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) for subcategory 18g, based on the Australia/New Zealand limit; the USDA SR Legacy hoisin record at 1,615 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) is about 2.4 times this benchmark

Who this works differently for

• In people already on blood pressure drugs, a meta-analysis of 35 trials with 2,885 participants found systolic pressure fell 6.81 mmHg for every 100 mmol cut in daily sodium. — treated hypertensive adults on constant blood pressure-lowering medication, 35 randomized trials of at least 2 weeks, median 28 days (n = 2885) Evidence A source
  Systolic BP -6.81 mmHg (95% CI 4.96 to 8.66) and diastolic -3.85 mmHg (95% CI 2.26 to 5.43) per 100 mmol reduction in 24-hour urinary sodium
• US labeling rules name older adults, people with a family history of high blood pressure, men and Black adults as the groups most likely to benefit from cutting sodium. — United States regulatory text, 21 CFR 101.74 Evidence E source
  Regulator names groups at greatest risk and most likely to benefit from sodium reduction

What is still unknown

• USDA lists ready-to-serve hoisin sauce at 1,615 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), which is 70% of the Daily Value, and this rests on a single legacy record with no measured spread. — USDA SR Legacy record for Sauce, hoisin, ready-to-serve (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Sodium 1,615 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) (70% DV), carbohydrate 44.08 g (16% DV), riboflavin 0.217 mg (17% DV)

The bottom line

Across 36 cluster randomized trials with 66,803 adults and children, community, school, workplace and clinic programs that cut sodium lowered office systolic pressure by 2.64 mmHg (95% CI 1.80 to 3.48) against usual care. The trials varied a lot. The drop was larger in people with hypertension and in Asian cohorts, and in children it did not reach significance. In a double-blind trial of 90 people with hypertension, one week of low sodium lowered 24-hour systolic pressure by 7 mmHg (95% CI 5 to 9). Adding potassium or nitrate-rich beetroot juice gave nothing extra, in a study that lasted one week and split 90 people into eight small groups. The caution here is about the whole day. The FDA says Americans eat about 3,400 mg of sodium a day on average, against a limit below 2,300 mg for adults. A single tablespoon of hoisin is about 11% of that adult figure. The limit for children under 14 is lower, and the FDA page we used does not give it. WHO's 2024 sodium benchmarks name hoisin among Asian-style sauces and set 680 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) as the most that category should hold. That is a voluntary target for manufacturers, and it is not an intake limit for a person. The single USDA record, at 1,615 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), sits well above it, and that comparison is ours, since WHO did not make it. US labeling rules name older adults, people with a family history of high blood pressure, men and Black adults as the groups most likely to benefit from eating less sodium. If you already take blood pressure medication, the 35-trial analysis above was done in people like you. The US survey database files hoisin under soy-based condiments, but we found no source listing its full ingredients, so this page cannot tell you which allergens it contains. If you have a food allergy, the label is the place to check.

Sources

1. hois-r6-03 · cross-sectional label survey
   The sauce categories that were the farthest from meeting the UK 2017 targets in China were the mayonnaises and curry pastes (where 0% of the products met the target), followed by hoisin sauces (4.5%).
   BMJ Open, 2019 · checked 2026-09-28
2. hois-r6-02 · USDA FNDDS survey foods, dataset
   Hoisin sauce (fdc_id 2707441, FNDDS 41420250, Soy-based condiments): Sodium, Na 1615 MG per 100 g; 1 tablespoon 16 g = 258.4 MG; Quantity not specified 16 g = 258.4 MG
   USDA FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, food code 41420250 · checked 2026-09-28
3. hois-r6-04 · meta-analysis of randomized trials
   The population-based sodium reduction interventions decreased office systolic BP (SBP) compared with usual care in 36 studies (MD: -2.64 mmHg [95% confidence interval: -3.48- to 1.80]), with evidence of heterogeneity.
   Hypertens Res, 2025 · checked 2026-09-28
4. hois-r6-06 · randomized controlled trial
   The change in systolic BP in the low-sodium groups was -7 mmHg (95% CI -9;-5) and no change was found in the high-sodium groups.
   J Hum Hypertens, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
5. hois-r6-07 · government guidance
   Americans eat on average about 3,400 mg of sodium per day. However, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day
   U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Sodium in Your Diet · checked 2026-09-28
6. hois-wf4-01 · government guidance
   18g. Other Asian-style sauces ... Asian-style sauces and condiments (e.g. teriyaki, black bean, hoisin, stir-fry, duck and oyster sauces). ... Asian-style cooking sauces/Asian sauces, 680 mg
   WHO global sodium benchmarks for different food categories, second edition, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
7. hois-r6-05 · meta-analysis of randomized trials
   For every 100 mmol reduction in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion, systolic blood pressure decreased by 6.81 mm Hg (95% CI, 4.96-8.66), diastolic blood pressure decreased by 3.85 mm Hg (95% CI, 2.26-5.43), and mean arterial pressure decreased by 4.83 mm Hg (95% CI, 3.22-6.44).
   Hypertension, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
8. hois-r6-08 · federal regulation
   The populations at greatest risk for high blood pressure, and those most likely to benefit from sodium reduction, include those with family histories of high blood pressure, the elderly, males because they develop hypertension earlier in life than females, and black males and females.
   21 CFR 101.74, Health claims: sodium and hypertension · checked 2026-09-28
9. hois-r6-01 · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, dataset
   Sauce, hoisin, ready-to-serve (FDC 172886, SR Legacy, Soups, Sauces, and Gravies): sodium 1615 mg per 100 g = 70% DV; riboflavin 0.217 mg = 17% DV; carbohydrate 44.08 g = 16% DV; Foundation samples 0, CoFID match none
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 172886 · checked 2026-09-28