For people trying to lose weight, they think congee is easy to digest and won't cause weight gain. Experts remind us that drinking only thin congee is not necessarily good for digestion; one should also eat some dry rice.
Of course, to truly digest well, there is an important prerequisite—chew slowly. It is only effective when food is fully mixed with saliva. Deputy Chief Physician Liu Haifeng from the Gastroenterology Department of the General Hospital of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force said, "Never underestimate saliva. This is the first step in our digestion." Many people think that patients with stomach problems are better off drinking liquids than eating solids, but in reality, it's not that simple. Because when you eat dry rice, you must chew it. Saliva contains digestive enzymes that can help food digest more easily in the stomach. If you only drink congee, the rice grains in the congee have not been chewed and cannot be fully mixed with saliva before entering the stomach, which is actually not conducive to digestion. Therefore, patients with gastrointestinal problems should change their habit of only drinking congee as a staple food. It's best to eat some dry rice first and then drink some congee. The dry rice needs to be constantly stirred and mixed in the stomach. Drinking some congee can lubricate the stomach wall, promote mixing, and protect the gastric mucosa. Moreover, drinking congee after a meal can also help rinse the esophagus. It needs to be reiterated that you should chew slowly. If you swallow food without chewing, it will place a great burden on your digestive system and even cause damage. Don't take too big a bite of food at a time. If you eat too much in one bite, it will be difficult to mix the saliva and food thoroughly.
Rice congee, millet congee, cornmeal congee, corn grits congee, mung bean congee, oat congee... With so many varieties, which one is easier to digest? Dr. Liu said that the human intestine has dozens of digestive enzymes, and different gastrointestinal patients may lack different enzymes. Therefore, some people are suitable for drinking congee, while others may not. The type of congee also varies from person to person. Different patients have different digestive obstacles, so they should choose according to their specific conditions. It's best to drink "plain" congee and less "flavored" congee, especially sweet congee, which can easily cause stomach acid.