Chicken soup is warm in nature. It is rich in oil, calories, and fat, making it unsuitable for five types of people.
1. Patients with chronic superficial gastritis have excessive stomach acid and poor digestive function. Drinking more chicken soup will promote gastric acid secretion, which not only hinders digestion but also increases the gastrointestinal burden, leading to indigestion.
2. Those who frequently suffer from cholecystitis and cholelithiasis should not drink too much chicken soup. The digestion of fat in the soup requires bile, and drinking it will stimulate the gallbladder to contract, easily triggering an episode of cholecystitis.
3. Patients with hyperuricemia should avoid chicken soup because it is rich in purines and fat, which can induce a gout attack.
4. Patients with hyperlipidemia and fatty liver should avoid it. After the fat in the soup is absorbed, it will further increase blood lipids and blood cholesterol, causing fat to accumulate in the liver and deposit on the inner walls of blood vessels, leading to conditions such as coronary atherosclerosis.
5. Patients with impaired kidney function. Chicken soup contains certain small-molecule proteins. Patients with acute nephritis, acute or chronic renal insufficiency, or uremia cannot process the breakdown products of protein in a timely manner. Drinking too much chicken soup can trigger azotemia and worsen the progression of the disease.
Furthermore, the nutritional value of chicken soup is far less than that of the chicken itself. It mainly consists of some water-soluble small-molecule substances, along with oil and calories, and also contains a high amount of purines. The protein content in the soup is only about 7% of that in the chicken, so objectively, it is not very nutritious. Therefore, the healthiest way to consume it is to primarily eat the chicken, with the soup serving only as a seasoning.
In addition, chicken soup made from old hens can be nourishing and particularly beneficial for people with weak constitutions. Soup made from black-bone chickens can also have the effect of nourishing qi and blood, and benefiting vital energy. A lighter soup made from young roosters should be the first choice for young people. For children who are growing, it is best to consume chicken soup made from "young roosters" (also known as young cocks). Eating "young roosters" is beneficial for promoting physical development, especially for those who feel cold in the winter or have delayed growth.