Consuming soup — the one that you make at home from scratch and definitely not the pre-packaged or canned varieties since they usually contain a high level of sodium — is good for your body. Given the ingredients usually includes vegetables and other whole food ingredients, soups are both easy to digest and nourishing enough with all the vitamins and minerals. So, here are the 8 Benefits You Can Get From Drinking Soup!
1) It Keeps You Fuller
Here’s the thing about consuming soup: It contains mostly water, which can fill your stomach by itself. Not to mention the combination of vegetables and other ingredients that go into the soup also help to make your stomach feel fuller for longer. At least, you won’t be immediately hitting for the next meal in a jiffy.
2) It May Help You Lose Weight
Looking for an economical way to lose weight without spending a fortune? Well, you might want to try souping for a change. As mentioned in point no. 1, soup can fill you up and make you eat less and feel fuller at the same time. You also tend to consume fewer calories since souping generally requires you to sip slowly at a leisurely pace (they are usually served hot anyway). Still not convinced? According to a study published in Obesity Research, those who consumed soup instead of munching common snacks like chips and pretzels are likely to lose 50% more weight.
3) It Retains The Nutritional Value
The good thing about the soup-making process is how it helps to preserve all the nutrients of your ingredients. Put it this way, whatever source of vitamins and minerals stripped from the food will not be lost since they all end up in the broth anyway. Besides, the process of making soup at home uses a gentler cooking method (read: lower temperatures), which in turn, happens to be another reason why the nutrients remain intact compared to other cooking techniques like stir-frying and grilling.
4) It Can Help To Ward Off Cold And Flu
Feeling under the weather? Try having a steaming bowl of soup since hot liquid may help to clear nasal congestion in your body. For instance, the good old chicken soup is the most popular home remedy if you suffer from a cold or flu disease. But even if you dislike chicken soup, you can always try other nutrient-rich alternatives like vegetable soup, tomato soup, miso soup and lentil soup.
5) It Helps You To De-Stress
Believe it or not, soup has that calming effect. This hot liquid is both soothing and nourishing, which not only helps to boost your energy but also improve your mood. The reasons? Things that usually go into the soup typically consists of fresh and natural ingredients while you are less likely to chuck in processed food. Soup is also low in oil and grease that doesn’t put a burden on our digestive system.
6) It Hydrates Your Body
Soups contain mostly water anyway, which in turn, will keep your body well-hydrated at the same time. It also contains a fair amount of salt to retain moisture in your body. And of course, those who dislike the plain and tasteless sensation of drinking a glass of water will likely enjoy consuming flavourful yet nutritious soup.
7) It Warms Your Body
Sure, our country is prone to insanely hot weather that makes us sweat like nobody’s business. But let’s not forget that we also have monsoon seasons all year round and that means we need to deal with rain and heavy downpour. During this period, wouldn’t it be nice if we consume something hot to counter the cold of the rainy seasons? Souping happens to be one of them. Be it vegetable or bone broth soups, they help to warm your body from inside out while providing all the nourishment you need.
8) It May Help You Sleep Better
Having trouble sleeping at night? Instead of popping those sleeping pills, try souping. Or more specifically, consume miso soup. This traditional Japanese broth, which is made with a paste from fermented soybeans, contains amino acids. This very compound can help to increase the production of melatonin, which in turn, can help make you feel sleepy.
