Elderly people have the habit of adding alkaline substances when cooking porridge. This not only saves time and makes the porridge thick and sticky, but also enhances its taste and makes it easier to digest. However, adding alkaline substances during porridge cooking can accelerate the destruction of vitamins in grains, especially vitamin B1. Drinking such porridge would then lack nutrition.
Vitamin B1 is known as the "psychological vitamin" and has a beneficial effect on nervous tissue and mental state. Like all B vitamins, excess B1 is not stored in the body but completely excreted, so it must be replenished daily. A deficiency in vitamin B1 not only makes people prone to beriberi and constipation, but also causes symptoms such as fatigue, forgetfulness, and anxiety. Prolonged deficiency can also affect the function of the heart and muscles. Therefore, for the elderly, who already have weak nutrient absorption function, adding alkaline substances when cooking porridge will further hinder nutrient absorption.
