There is a Chinese proverb that says, "The elderly who eat congee will have more blessings and a longer life." From ancient times to the present, many elderly people have taken this as a health maxim. As people age, their digestive systems weaken, and drinking congee in moderation is indeed beneficial for digestion. However, doing so every day can be detrimental to the body.
Professor Miao Yide, a standing committee member of the Chinese Geriatrics Society and a standing committee member of the Osteoporosis Committee of the Chinese Geriatrics Society, stated that based on research on the digestion and absorption of congee, rice, and steamed bread, the sugar absorption rate of congee is 96.5%, rice is 99.5%, and steamed bread is 99.9%; the protein absorption rate of congee is 56.1%, rice is 99.5%, and steamed bread is 99.9%.
Miao Yide said that long-term consumption of congee has the following adverse factors: because congee does not require much chewing, the lack of mastication will accelerate the degeneration of the elderly's chewing organs; congee contains less fiber, which is not conducive to detoxification for the elderly. Eating requires chewing. Chewing not only uses teeth to grind food particles finely but also stimulates saliva secretion. The enzymes in saliva also have a preliminary effect on digesting starch.
When grains and water are cooked together for a long time, they form a porridge-like consistency that is digested by the stomach and intestines with little need for chewing or the help of saliva. Without chewing, the amylase in saliva cannot fully break down the starch in congee into maltose, thus affecting digestion. Saliva also helps neutralize stomach acid and repair the gastric mucosa. When drinking congee, almost no saliva is secreted in the mouth, which is naturally not conducive to protecting the gastric mucosa. Therefore, if you are going to drink congee, it is best to add some side dishes.