Rice soup, which is congee made from rice or the layer of viscous congee oil on the surface when cooking rice, is quite nutritious. I believe many of you have memories of drinking rice soup from your childhood. So, do you know how to make rice soup? And do you know how to eat it for higher nutritional value?
In China, the tradition of drinking rice soup for health maintenance has a long history. With the emergence of beverages and health foods, it has gradually been forgotten. Today, let's revisit the magical effects and preparation methods of rice soup. The magical effects of a bowl of thick rice soup.
The magical effects of a bowl of thick rice soup
Rice soup is the essence of rice. During the cooking process, nutrients from the rice, especially from its bran layer such as starch, protein, various vitamins, and minerals, dissolve into the water. Therefore, rice soup has the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi, nourishing yin and promoting fluid production, relieving vexation and thirst, and stopping diarrhea.
An ancient saying goes: "Rice oil can strengthen the pores and is very nourishing. Those who are thin and dark will become plump and fair after eating it for a hundred days, because its nourishing yin effect is better than that of prepared rehmannia root." Infants have weak spleens and stomachs, especially in the early stages after an illness, so it is recommended to drink more rice soup.
Thick rice soup is a very gentle and effective supplement that aligns with human nature, and it can be used as a tonic for people with weak constitutions. The magical effects of a bowl of thick rice soup.
Is a bowl of rice soup really that nutritious?
1. Rice soup ingredients
Besides minerals and nutrients, rice soup contains no other nutritional components. Rice soup is the broth left after you boil rice and then strain out the rice grains. After the rice comes to a boil, remove the rice, and you can just give the rice water to your baby.
Before boiling the rice, you can soak it for a while, preferably for one to two hours. This will make the cooked rice soup thicker and more nutritious. However, using the best quality or refined rice for making rice soup will be even more nutritious. The magical effects of a bowl of thick rice soup.
2. Rice soup benefits
Rice soup is inexpensive and can be used to rehydrate children when they are vomiting and have diarrhea, preventing dehydration. For families without intravenous fluids or electrolyte solutions, the best solution is to have the child drink rice soup. If physiological saline needs to be supplemented, rice soup is more effective than plain water.
>A British researcher, in a comment published in a journal, cited a professor from Singapore who said that rice soup can reduce fecal output and is effective in treating mild to moderate gastroenteritis. The magical effects of a bowl of thick rice soup.3. Rice soup drawbacks
Rice soup does not contain enough carbohydrates; diarrhea requires energy replenishment—during diarrhea, protein and minerals are also supplements that a child's body needs, a pediatrician explains.
A professor from Harvard University stated that rice soup lacks the necessary sodium and potassium and cannot replenish lost minerals. When a baby has diarrhea or vomiting, they lose a lot of nutrients, and rice soup is not sufficient to replenish all of them. You also need to give your child some other foods.
4. Warnings
Rice soup does not contain the nutrients necessary for an infant's optimal growth. Do not use rice soup as a substitute for infant formula or to dilute infant formula. Do not feed rice soup to a baby when they have diarrhea or vomiting, unless specifically advised by a doctor.
A pediatrician and author, Dr. [Name], warned that infants with severe diarrhea can lose 10% of their body weight; a 20-pound baby would lose 2 pounds. Severe dehydration requires medical attention. After treatment, when the baby starts to improve, giving them some rice soup can help replenish some physiological saline and maintain the body's needed fluids.