People are paying more and more attention to health preservation, and more people are making soups. However, incorrect soup-making methods not only fail to provide nutritional and health benefits but can also negatively affect physical health. Everyone must avoid falling into these misconceptions!
Misconception One: The longer you simmer a soup, the more nutritious it is.
Many people have the habit of making "old fire soups," believing that the longer a soup is simmered, the more "done" it is, and the more nutritious it becomes. In fact, after prolonged simmering, many nutrients are destroyed. The longer the simmering time, the more severe the protein denaturation, and the more vitamins are destroyed. Therefore, old fire soups should not be simmered for too long; generally, within two hours is appropriate.
Misconception Two: Eating the meat is not as good as drinking the broth.
As the saying goes, "Eating the meat is not as good as drinking the broth." The savory flavor of meat broth often surpasses that of the meat itself, leading people to mistakenly believe that all the essence of the meat has gone into the broth, making the broth more nutritious than the meat. In reality, the savory taste of the broth is because some nitrogen-containing extracts from the meat dissolve into the water after boiling, but most of the protein in the food remains in a solid state in the meat and does not dissolve in the water.
In soups simmered for more than two hours, the protein content is only about 5% of that in the meat, meaning 95% of the nutrients remain in the "meat residue." Therefore, only drinking the broth and not eating the meat merely satisfies the palate, while the vast majority of nutrients are still in the meat residue!
Misconception Three: Everyone can drink rich, flavorful broths.
After meat foods such as pork bones, chicken, and duck are boiled, they release substances like carnosine, purine bases, and amino acids, which are collectively known as "nitrogen-containing extracts." Obviously, the more delicious the broth, the more nitrogen-containing extracts it contains, including more "purines." Long-term excessive intake of "purines" can lead to hyperuricemia, which is the main culprit causing gout.
Not everyone can drink these delicious broths. For example, patients with gout and diabetes must process these nitrogen-containing extracts in the liver into uric acid, which is then excreted by the kidneys. Therefore, excessive "purines" place a heavier burden on the liver and kidneys. The richness and flavor of the broth are also related to the fats and sugars that leach into it, neither of which is beneficial for controlling diabetes.