Thick Chicken Soup May Harm Health

"Eat soup before a meal is better than medicine," this saying seems to hold true. However, from the perspective of modern nutrition science, advocating "more soup" is not truly beneficial for health.

Chinese people value "supplementing."Traditional Chinese Medicine developed a theory called "tonification theory," which includes "nourishing yin," "strengthening yang," and "strengthening spleen and stomach."Besides medicinal supplementation, common folk also emphasize "food supplement" or "dietary therapy.""Chicken soup""bone broth"is most revered and popular among the Chinese people. This is not surprising, as in the past, with low productivity, food scarcity, and difficulty storing food, ordinary people consumed much less meat, fat, and other protein-rich foods than today. In general, they had inadequate or relative insufficient intake of proteins and fats, leading to more cases of physical weakness and malnutrition."Weakness" and"anemia"not only cause many diseases but also shorten lifespan. Many people can effectively improve their constitution and prevent certain diseases through timely dietary therapy. Thus, chicken soup and bone broth naturally became beloved tonifying delicacies for people. However, now that living conditions have improved, chicken, duck, fish, and meat are no longer luxury items reserved for special occasions like festivals.

Modern people should avoid "nutrient excess" or imbalance unless they truly need to be replenished. In such cases, it's better to consume less chicken soup and bone broth.

Reasons include,

"chicken stew"is flavorful and rich in protein but has a high salt content and contains more saturated fats and cholesterol than expected. Even without eating the skin of the chicken, the fat from the skin dissolves into the soup, making it easy to ingest excessive animal fats. This can burden the digestive system, leading to gastrointestinal diseases. Moreover, it may cause an increase in blood lipids and coronary heart disease."Acute exacerbation" of chronic cholecystitis is more likely if one consumes too much concentrated chicken soup.

"Pork knuckle""meat bone""fish bones," when boiled for a long time, contain large amounts of "glycine" and "collagen." These can enhance calcium absorption in the body. However, these broths also have high fat and cholesterol content, especially from the bone marrow, which has particularly high cholesterol levels."Long stewing" of broth with seafood, fungi, or animal organs results in a high purine content. This can harm the liver after metabolism and produce harmful nitric acid when consumed."Extending cooking time" of soup with green vegetables leads to a high potassium and oxalate content, which are detrimental to kidney disease patients and may cause kidney stones. In summary, chicken soup and bone broth should be consumed in moderation. They can be beneficial for those who are truly weak but should not be excessively thickened or overcooked."Avoid adding other animal organs when stewing chicken or bones." Additionally, repeated long-boiled chicken or bone soups should also be avoided.