by Dr Deborah Lee, Dr Fox Online Pharmacy
https://pixabay.com/photos/potato-soup-potato-soup-wild-garlic-2152254/
As January is National Soup Awareness month, I thought it would be a great idea to think about why eating soup is so good for your health.
Take a look and find out – you may be surprised to see so many benefits from a humble bowl of soup!
Here are six great reasons –
1. Diet quality is significantly better in those who eat soup
- In one French study, soup eaters had higher levels of folate, B-carotene and vitamin C than non-soup eaters. Soup consumers have also been found to have a higher Healthy Index Eating Score (HEI) for both fruit and vegetables, in particular dark leafy greens, bright-coloured vegetables and legumes. These contain large quantities of antioxidants that are vital for maintaining good health.
- Soup also tends to contain lower amounts of saturated fat and sugar than solid foods which helps counteract obesity.
- Soup eaters consume more fibre, which is essential for good health. Fibre is important for the control of blood sugar levels, controlling your appetite, and ensuring good gastrointestinal function, preventing constipation. It also helps lower cholesterol.
2. Eating more soup is associated with a lower risk of obesity
- In a 2020 meta-analysis, a regular soup intake reduced the risk of obesity by 15% – and this was statistically significant. Soup occupies a large volume in the stomach, even though it is lower in density than other foods.
3. Soup helps you feel full for longer and suppresses your appetite
In laboratory studies, the ingestion of soup has been shown to delay gastric emptying in comparison to gastric emptying after solid foods. This means the soup stays inside your stomach for longer, and you feel your stays stomach is distended for an extended period after a meal. Gastric motility is known to play a key role in the physiology of hunger, the control of eating, and body weight.
4. Soup is a less energy-dense (ED) food – Eating more less-ED foods is associated with lowered body weight
ED is the amount of energy in a given quantity of food. Soup has a low ED and regularly eating soup is linked to a reduction in BMI.
This also applies the other way around – those who eat more foods with ED are more likely to have a higher body weight. High-ED foods tend to have a higher unsaturated and trans fat content, a higher sugar content and are lower in fibre.
5. Research suggests the more soup you eat the lower your BMI and waist circumference
In a 2013 study of 4,158 UK adults, an association was noted between those who consumed the highest amounts of soup, and a lower BMI and waist circumference.
6. The high water content of soup helps lower it’s energy density but also means you are drinking more water
Total Water Intake (TWI) includes the water obtained from food – as well as what is obtained from drinking fluids. Estimates suggest water from food makes up 20-30% of our TWI. 66% of the UK population is not drinking enough water, which has serious negative health consequences.
Final thoughts
I think you’ll agree that this list of the benefits of soup is quite a revelation. Having a bowl of soup before lunch has been shown to reduce your total lunch time calorie consumption by as much as 20%. Soup is warm, thick and viscous, and sits inside the stomach for longer than a cheese sandwich – stopping you craving more food.
If you want to get healthier in 2023, eat more fruit, veg and fibre, and lose weight, it could be as simple as eating one bowl of soup a day!
