Drinking soup before a meal helps to dilute and mix the food, which is beneficial for the digestive system's digestion and absorption of food. If you don't drink soup before a meal and also don't consume any soup or water during the meal, you will feel thirsty after the meal due to excessive secretion of gastric juice, which leads to a significant loss of body fluid. Drinking water at this point will instead dilute the gastric juice, affecting the absorption and digestion of food, and can trigger conditions such as esophagitis and gastritis.
As the saying goes, "A few sips of soup before a meal are better than any good medicine prescription," and this saying has a scientific basis. This is because the path from the mouth, throat, esophagus to the stomach is like a single channel that food must pass through. Before eating, having a few sips of soup (or a little water) is like adding a "lubricant" to this digestive tract, allowing food to pass smoothly and preventing dry, hard food from irritating the mucous membranes of the digestive system.
It is also beneficial to have some soup or water during the meal. This helps to dilute and mix the food, which is beneficial for the digestive system's digestion and absorption of food. If you don't drink soup before a meal and also don't consume any soup or water during the meal, you will feel thirsty after the meal due to excessive secretion of gastric juice, which leads to a significant loss of body fluid. Drinking water at this point will instead dilute the gastric juice, affecting the absorption and digestion of food. Therefore, some nutritionists believe that developing the habit of consuming soup or water before or during meals can reduce the occurrence of conditions such as esophagitis and gastritis.
Soaking dry rice or hard steamed buns in soup to eat is a different matter. When we chew food, not only do we break it down for swallowing, but it is also crucial that saliva moistens the food. Saliva is produced through continuous chewing. Saliva contains many digestive enzymes that have physiological functions such as aiding digestion, absorption, and detoxification, which are very beneficial to health. Because soup-soaked food is moist and soft, it is easy to swallow, and people often tend to chew it less. They quickly swallow the food without the digestive process of saliva, which adds a burden to the stomach's digestion. Over time, this can easily lead to stomach problems. Therefore, soup-soaked food should not be eaten frequently.
Of course, while drinking soup before a meal is beneficial to health, it doesn't mean that the more you drink, the better. It should be tailored to the individual, and the timing of consumption should also be mastered. Generally, half a bowl of soup is suitable before lunch and dinner, while more can be consumed before breakfast, as the body loses a significant amount of water after a night's sleep. The best time to drink soup is about 20 minutes before a meal. You can also consume soup slowly and in small amounts during the meal. In summary, the amount of soup should be to the comfort of the stomach, and "gulping" it down before or after a meal should be avoided at all costs.