Soup offers numerous health benefits that can make you feel great. Consuming 7 health benefits of soup regularly can boost immunity, aid weight loss, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, improve digestion, promote heart health, and help fight off colds and flu.
7 Health Benefits of Soup
1. Boosts Immunity
7 health benefits of soup contain various vitamins, minerals and nutrients that help strengthen the immune system.
Ingredients That Boost Immunity
- Garlic: Contains antioxidants that support white blood cell function. Also has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
- Ginger: Has anti-inflammatory effects that help relieve congestion and sore throats. Also increases blood circulation.
- Onion: Rich in quercetin which acts as a natural antihistamine and reduces nasal congestion. Also boosts glutathione production.
- Chicken or Bone Broth: Contains gelatin, amino acids, and minerals that reduce inflammation and fight infections. Also easy for the body to absorb.
How Immunity is Enhanced
Consuming the vegetables, herbs and spices in soup provides your body with the nutrients it needs to:
- Produce more white blood cells to attack invading bacteria and viruses.
- Generate antibodies to specifically target foreign pathogens.
- Release antiviral compounds that prevent viruses from multiplying.
- Improve circulation to transport immune cells quickly.
By bolstering these immune defenses, regularly eating soup helps safeguard you from falling frequently ill.
2. Aids Weight Loss
Soup can be an effective part of a weight loss diet. Soup has low energy density and high nutritional value while being rich and satisfying.
Low in Calories
- Broths and clear soups are very low in calories while still filling up your stomach. This leads to less overall calorie intake.
- Cream-based soups can also be low in calories when made with low-fat milk and healthy ingredients.
- Replacing higher calorie foods with soup decreases your daily calorie consumption resulting in weight loss over time.
High in Nutrients
- Soup contains high amounts of proteins, fiber and nutrients compared to its calorie count. This helps you lose weight healthily without nutrient deficiencies.
- Nutrients like proteins and fiber also promote satiety meaning you feel full for longer periods. This controls appetite and cravings preventing overeating.
Tips for Weight Loss Soups
- Focus on clear broths and vegetable purees for maximum volume with minimum calories.
- Avoid heavy cream-based soups with high amounts of salt, butter and oil to limit fat and calorie intake.
- Cook without additional salt or oils and use herbs and spices instead for flavor.
3. Reduces Inflammation
Soup can relieve inflammation which leads to decreased risk of chronic diseases over the long term. Many vegetables and herbs used in soups have natural anti-inflammatory effects.
Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Contain lycopene which prevents inflammatory responses in the lungs and digestive tract. Also inhibits pro-inflammatory enzymes.
- Spinach: Has high levels of flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants that limit inflammation throughout the body.
- Carrots: Rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene which reduces oxidative stress and inflammation in aging cells.
- Turmeric: Curcumin compound has been found equivalent to some anti-inflammatory drugs in reducing markers of inflammation.
How Inflammation is Lowered
Regular consumption provides the body with constant supply of antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds which lower inflammation. This inhibits systemic, low-grade inflammation preventing many inflammation-related disorders. Enjoying 7 health benefits of soup provides daily dietary management to reduce unhealthy inflammation.
- Neutralize dangerous free radicals that damage healthy cells triggering inflammation.
- Inhibit release of chemicals like cytokines that amplify inflammatory responses.
- Activate genes and pathways involved in blocking inflammatory processes.
- Oppose signaling of key inflammation-causing molecules in the cells.
This inhibits systemic, low-grade inflammation preventing many inflammation-related disorders.
4. Lowers Cholesterol
Soup prepared with heart healthy ingredients can reduce high cholesterol levels to improve cardiovascular health.
Cholesterol Lowering Ingredients
- Beans: Contain soluble fiber and sterols that block cholesterol absorption in the gut lowering total and LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels.
- Olive Oil: High monounsaturated fats decrease LDL oxidation, triglycerides and total cholesterol while increasing “good” HDL cholesterol.
- Fatty Fish: Omega-3 fatty acids reduce production of triglycerides in the liver and enhance HDL transport lowering overall cholesterol.
- Onions & Garlic: Unique polysaccharides inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the liver cells resulting in lowered blood cholesterol.
Mechanism for Cholesterol Reduction
Active compounds present in the soup ingredients:
- Bind to cholesterol molecules obstructing their absorption from food.
- Suppress genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis pathway.
- Stimulate receptors that remove LDL particles from the bloodstream.
- Accelerate cholesterol breakdown and excretion thereby lowering blood levels.
Regular soup intake provides daily dietary management of unhealthy cholesterol levels.
5. Improves Digestion
Soup promotes better digestion in multiple ways right from enhancing nutrient absorption to reducing gut issues like diarrhea.
Benefits for Digestion
- Hydrating: The liquid base is easily absorbed preventing dehydration which precipitates constipation and indigestion.
- Prebiotics: Fibrous content from vegetables serves as fuel for gut microbes producing beneficial byproducts and improving gut environment.
- Electrolytes: Essential minerals in the broth help maintain fluid balance and support healthy muscle contractions in the GI tract aiding movement.
- Anti-inflammatory: Compounds like gingerol and curcumin protect the gut lining reducing inflammation-related diarrhea or IBS.
Tips for Digestive Soups
- Always cook vegetables well for easier nutrient assimilation in the gut.
- Pick stocks rich in gelatin and bone broths for healing leaky gut.
- Add probiotic boosters like kimchi and kefir to replenish healthy gut flora.
- Limit ingredients like beans, onions and cabbage if you face excess gas or bloating issues.
6. Promotes Heart Health
Soup is packed with cardiovascular-protective nutrients like antioxidants and omega-3s making it extremely beneficial for heart health.
Protects Blood Vessels
- Vitamin C in tomato soup repairs damaged blood vessel walls preventing atherosclerotic plaques.
- Vitamin K in green leafy soups maintains calcium balance in the arteries keeping them flexible.
- Lycopene in gazpacho soup reduces stiffness in the arteries boosting healthy blood flow.
Controls Blood Pressure
- Potassium and magnesium in most soups prevent constriction of blood vessels lowering hypertension risk.
- Celery, carrots and beetroot contain nitrates which open up blood vessels reducing strain on the heart.
Lowers Stroke Risk
- Omega-3s in salmon chowder thin the blood preventing formation of vessel-blocking clots causing strokes.
- Folate in lentil soup removes toxic homocysteine linked to higher stroke and heart attack incidence.
Thus, having some soup daily supports cardiovascular function decreasing incidence of various heart diseases.
7. Fights Colds and Flu
Soup has innate antiviral and antibacterial properties that can prevent and treat common cold and flu. Hot soup also eases related congestion.
Alleviates Symptoms
- Heat helps loosen up and clear mucus reducing congestion and sinus pressure.
- Hot liquids prevent dehydration thinning out mucus secretions making them less sticky.
- Broths supply electrolytes like sodium and potassium that replenish loss from fever, sweating and runny nose.
Boosts Immunity
- Chicken soup counters inflammation allowing immune cells to work efficiently against the virus.
- Garlic and onion contain antimicrobial sulfur compounds that directly kill pathogens.
- Ginger’s potent antioxidants support production of white blood cells to fight infections.
Speeds Healing
- Glycine amino acid in bone broth and chicken soup heals damaged mucosal tissue in the respiratory tract.
- Collagen from broth strengthens connective tissue and quickens tissue repair reducing recovery time.
- Vitamin A, zinc and selenium repair respiratory cell damage restoring lung function faster.
Thus soup helps fight viral or bacterial respiratory infections while also alleviating annoying cold and flu symptoms effectively.
Conclusion
Consuming 7 health benefits of soup regularly provides measurable improvements in immunity, inflammation, weight loss, digestion, cholesterol levels, heart health and fighting colds and flu. The variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and nutrients in soup enhance diverse body processes. Clear broths are hydrating while cream-based preparations supply healthy fats. Both vegetable and meat ingredients pack different benefits. Adjust taste with herbs instead of salt for maximum advantage. Thus including some homemade or low-sodium soup daily nourishes you from the inside-out naturally.
What nutrients provide the top 7 health benefits of soup?
The top nutrients supplying major health benefits of soup are – antioxidants like beta carotene and lycopene to reduce inflammation, soluble fiber to lower cholesterol, minerals like potassium to control blood pressure, bone broth to heal leaky gut, essential amino acids to speed up healing from infections, and compounds like quercetin to boost immunity.
Which soups provide the most health benefits?
Soups with vegetable ingredients like tomatoes, onions, garlic, turmeric, ginger, spinach provide abundant antioxidants lowering inflammation and oxidative stress related issues in the body. Lean meat or bean-based preparations offer weight loss benefits along with plant nutrients and satiating protein. Clear broths, bone broths, chicken soup boost hydration and healing capacities. Overall a colorful mix of seasonal veggies, lean meats, healthy fats and spices creates most wholesome health benefitting soup.
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