Spring is a good time to drink soups and porridge for health. Chinese people have always attached great importance to nourishment, and chicken soup and bone broth are the most popular choices. However, most people are unaware that there are certain things to pay attention to when cooking and drinking soup. Let's take a look at a few misconceptions about cooking and drinking soup for spring health.
1. Avoid these 2 misconceptions when cooking soup
1. Avoid prolonged cooking
People often believe that the longer the soup is cooked, the more nutritious it becomes and the better it is for replenishing the body. However, this is not true.
(1) It is most suitable to cook bone broth for about an hour. At this time, the protein (which contains various amino acids) in the bones has dissolved into the soup, making the broth delicious. If it is cooked for a longer time, more fat will dissolve into the broth, which can cause hyperlipidemia and arteriosclerosis if consumed in excess.
(2) If seafood, mushrooms, and animal organs are added to the bone broth, the purine content will increase after prolonged cooking, which is harmful to the body, especially for those with gout. If green vegetables are cooked for too long, the nutrients in the vegetables will be lost, and the potassium and oxalate levels in the soup will increase, increasing the risk of kidney stones for patients with chronic kidney disease.
2. Avoid overly concentrated soup
After boiling pork bones, chicken, duck, and other meat products, substances such as myopeptides, purine alkaloids, and amino acids are released, which are collectively called "nitrogenous extracts." Obviously, the more concentrated the soup looks, the more nitrogenous extracts, including "purines," it contains. Long-term intake of excessive purines can lead to hyperuricemia, which is the main cause of gout.
Therefore, even though a rich and concentrated soup may appear more nutritious and delicious, it is recommended to drink less of it for the sake of your health, especially for patients with gout or diabetes.
2. Misconceptions about drinking soup
1. Drinking only the broth
(1) Many people believe that when stewing pork rib soup or chicken soup, all the nutrients are in the broth, so they only drink the broth and not eat the meat.
(2) However, this is incorrect. Regardless of the type of soup, even if it is cooked for a long time and the broth is concentrated, the protein content in the broth is only about 6% to 15%, and more than 85% of the protein nutrition is still in the meat itself. Therefore, only drinking the broth without eating the meat will result in a significant loss of nutrients.
2. Soaking rice or bread in soup
This habit is very unhealthy. Over time, it will reduce your digestive function and may even lead to stomach problems. This is because during the process of digesting food, the human body needs to chew for a longer time and secrete more saliva, which helps lubricate and swallow the food.
3. Drinking multiple bowls of soup per meal
If the soup is high in calories, salt, or purines, it should not be consumed in large quantities, especially for people with gout, kidney disease, and hypertension. It is advisable for the general population to drink soup slowly and in small amounts during meals, based on the comfort of their stomach.
4. Drinking piping hot soup
(1) Freshly boiled soup is often very hot, but many people still prefer to drink this piping hot soup, thinking that it warms the stomach and body better.
(2) In fact, the human oral cavity, esophagus, and gastric mucosa can only tolerate temperatures up to 60 degrees Celsius. Temperatures above this can cause mucosal burns and even malignant changes in the digestive tract. Therefore, soups below 50 degrees Celsius are more suitable.
