Congee has always been regarded as the "most nourishing" food. It is not only popular with the general public but is also the most common "food for the sick." Many hospitalized patients voluntarily give up normal solid foods (such as rice) and switch to congee, believing that this can supplement nutrition and speed up recovery. However, is white congee really so nutritious? Is it really so suitable?
I. Significant Nutrient Loss During Cooking
Refined white rice itself is not highly nutritious. It mainly provides a large amount of starch (75%), a small amount of protein (8%), and some B vitamins.
The long heating and cooking process for congee has little effect on starch, protein, and minerals, but it does destroy some B vitamins. The longer the cooking time, the more B vitamins are destroyed.
Therefore, the smoother and softer the white rice congee, the lower its B vitamin content. If alkali is added during the cooking process, the B vitamins will be completely destroyed.
Therefore, compared to white rice or white steamed buns, white rice congee has lower nutritional value.
II. Who Should Drink White Rice Congee?
Compared to white rice, the advantage of white congee is that it is easy to digest.
Congee is heated and cooked for a longer time and contains more water, so the starch is more fully gelatinized and can be more easily broken down into glucose by amylase in the small intestine and absorbed into the bloodstream. The long heating and cooking process also allows a small amount of protein or amino acids to dissolve in it, making it more digestible.
Therefore, compared to solid foods like white rice, congee can reduce the digestive burden on the gastrointestinal tract. It is especially suitable for patients with poor digestive function due to gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastroenteritis, severe peptic ulcers, pancreatitis, severe hepatitis, and some extremely weak patients. For the first meal after surgery, when a liquid diet is needed, easily digestible white congee (or even rice water) can be the first choice.
III. Who Should Not Drink White Rice Congee?
It must be pointed out that the easy digestibility of white congee is only particularly beneficial for the patients mentioned above. For healthy people or patients with normal gastrointestinal digestive function, white congee offers no advantage and is not as good as eating white rice (or other more nutritious foods).
The general and vague practice of giving all patients congee, believing that it is better for all of them, is wrong. As far as I know, you will not see patients in hospitals abroad all drinking congee (or other foods considered easy to digest).
The easy digestibility and absorption of white congee is actually a double-edged sword; it can also have a harmful side. Because it is easily digested and absorbed, white congee has a more pronounced effect on raising blood sugar after a meal. This is not only detrimental to blood sugar control for diabetic patients but also has an adverse effect on the post-meal blood sugar of healthy individuals.
In conclusion, do not blindly believe the saying that white congee is the most nourishing food. When gastrointestinal function is poor, or for the first meal after major surgery, white congee can be considered a food of choice. Apart from these situations, white congee offers no extra benefits to patients or healthy people, and is even inferior to eating white rice.