I. Rice Soaked in Soup
We chew food not only to break it down for swallowing, but more importantly, to moisten it with saliva. Saliva, produced during chewing, contains many digestive enzymes that aid digestion and absorption, which is very beneficial for health. However, with rice soaked in soup, the rice becomes soft, so it can be swallowed without chewing. As a result, the food often enters the stomach without undergoing the digestive process of saliva, which adds a burden to the stomach's digestion. Over time, this can easily lead to stomach discomfort.
II. Drinking Soup and Discarding the "Sediment"
Some experiments have shown that after cooking foods high in protein, such as fish, chicken, and beef, for 6 hours, the soup may appear very rich, but the protein dissolution rate is only 6%-15%. This means that over 85% of the protein remains in the "sediment." In other words, no matter how long the soup is simmered, the nutrients from the meat do not completely dissolve into the soup. Therefore, one should eat an appropriate amount of meat after drinking the soup.
III. Liking to Drink Freshly Cooked Hot Soup
Freshly cooked soup is often very hot, yet many people prefer to drink it this way, believing it warms the stomach and body. In fact, the mucous membranes of the human mouth, esophagus, and stomach can only withstand a maximum temperature of 60°C. Exceeding this temperature can cause burns to the mucous membranes and even lead to malignant changes in the digestive tract mucosa. Therefore, soup below 50°C is more suitable.