Broth: good or bad?

colds and fed children after severe food poisoning, it turns out that it can not only restore the body.

On the one hand, no one has died from the use of broth, but on the other hand, it is difficult to understand what it still has more: benefit or harm.

Clogs the liver and intestines Detox broth with carrots, cauliflower and spinach

To begin with, it is worth explaining that during the cooking process of meat (chicken, veal or pork) a lot of harmful substances are released into the water. For example, the antibiotic tetracycline, which is used on poultry farms, is completely digested and remains in the water after 30 minutes of boiling. Perhaps in ancient Russia, broth could be considered a useful product for the simple reason that both poultry and livestock received exclusively natural feed. And now, in pursuit of weight gain and fat content of meat, animals are fed with whatever they can find: from simple mineral supplements to huge doses of vitamins and hormones.

Chicken broth with tarragon

Studies conducted in recent years by scientists from many European countries have shown that broth and soups made from it can often contain heavy metals. And by the way, the longer the broth is cooked, the thicker and more concentrated it becomes, the more harmful it is to humans. In addition, there are several more unpleasant features of such liquid food.

“Broth does not always help the patient. Sometimes it even provokes new problems,” says gastroenterologist Albina Makarova. “The idea that broth can cause liver disease is really true. The fact is that liquid chicken broth is absorbed very quickly and the liver simply does not have time to process it. Thus, on the one hand, it can provoke “clogging” of the main filter of the human body, and on the other hand, it negatively affects the intestines and other organs, where the “unpurified liquid” gets. In addition, it dilutes gastric juice and reduces acidity.”

Mexican chicken soup with chili peppers and lime juice.

However, according to Albina Makarova, the harm of the broth is greatly exaggerated. The doctor believes that it is still possible to restore strength with the help of this dish, because often with various intestinal infections other food is simply not digested – the body does not accept solid, chilled and raw foods, which provoke stomach pain and even bouts of nausea.

Lunch without soup is nonsense

It turns out that boiled meat, firstly, is much safer than fried, because a huge part of harmful substances goes into the water from it. Secondly, eating meat is less harmful to the body than eating broth.

Nevertheless, not every housewife is ready to give up feeding her family with first courses based on broth. After all, some experts are still sure that eating soup is a must. And on a “dry ration” you can easily earn a “bouquet” of diseases, including a stomach ulcer.

“The fact is that broth, like any soup, contains substances that stimulate and activate the work of the digestive glands,” says nutritionist Marina Solovey, “and this increases the digestibility of food. You won’t lose weight from broths or soups, but a balanced diet without them is nonsense.”

Chicken soup with noodles

According to nutritionists, it is still possible to avoid poisoning the body, which broth can cause. The main thing is to approach the preparation correctly:

It is better to use “proven” meat

If you have relatives in the village, don’t be lazy to go to them and bring “raw materials.” Of course, this will not guarantee safety, but in any case, it will be possible to avoid industrial additives in meat (hormones and antibiotics).

The broth must be boiled to the third water

That is, bring it to a boil the first time and after 5-10 minutes pour in new water. If you repeat this procedure three times, the broth will become transparent and less strong, but most of the toxins will not enter the body.