讀後心得

A study in 2020 showed that drinking soup can reduce obesity risk by 15%, as soup is low in calories and high in water content, which can increase feelings of fullness. However, Taiwanese people often drink soup after they are already full, which may lead to excessive calorie intake, especially from high-fat soups like sesame oil chicken soup, increasing the risk of cholesterol and high blood lipids. Therefore, it is recommended to practice moderation while enjoying delicious food and to prioritize lean meats and high-fiber vegetables to lower cholesterol.

In 2020, research showed that seven observational studies (involving 45,292 people) concluded that drinking soup can reduce the risk of obesity by 15%. The main reason is that most soups are low in calories and high in water content, effectively increasing satiety, thereby reducing overall calorie intake. As a result, people who drink soup regularly are less likely to gain weight. However, these studies mainly originated from Western countries and Japan, where soups are usually less greasy, such as Japanese miso soup and Thai tom yum, which are lower in calories and seemingly do not contribute to weight gain when consumed over the long term.

Dining habits in Taiwan differ from those in the West, where people often drink soup only after feeling "full" from the main dish, not viewing soup as an appetizer. Soup lovers often regard warm soup as the essence of food, consuming bowl after bowl without particularly worrying about whether they are already full. This inevitably leads to excessive intake of fats and calories; for example, a bowl of sesame oil chicken soup has 450 calories, which is equivalent to two bowls of white rice, making it difficult to avoid weight gain from excessive soup consumption.

When choosing soups, one must be cautious to avoid affecting cholesterol and hyperlipidemia. I once examined a Taiwanese daughter-in-law of Vietnamese nationality, who weighed 83 kilograms, which is unusual for someone raised in Vietnam, as Vietnam has the lowest average body weight in the world. Vietnamese cuisine often focuses on boiling, steaming, or grilling, using very little oil for frying. She weighed 52 kilograms before pregnancy, but after consuming sesame oil chicken soup daily postnatally, her weight increased by 30 kilograms and she has not been able to lose it since. Moreover, high-fat rib soup, especially when made from fatty cuts, will increase cholesterol and saturated fatty acids in the broth, leading to elevated cholesterol levels just from drinking the soup, making it a hidden danger for hyperlipidemia.

It is recommended to exercise moderation when enjoying food, to choose meats wisely, to consume soups in moderation, and to increase the intake of high-fiber vegetables, as dietary fiber helps slow down fat breakdown, accelerates intestinal clearance, and lowers cholesterol levels.