The hardest part about dining out is not being able to decide what to order. If you’re a health cautious person, you might be concerned about the nutritional values that different foods provide to the body. If you’re torn between the dilemma of ordering something tasty and ordering something nutritious, there’s a mid-way that serves both the purposes. Hot and Sour Soup is a popular, tasty, and healthy dish that can be found on many menus in Chinese restaurants.

Soups are usually a vital part of a Chinese meal having huge health benefits. Hot and Sour Soup, in particular, follows the balance of both yin and yang. Not only does it cater to your taste buds but also has high medicinal properties that help in maintaining good health and also speeds up recovery if you are sick.

It can be prepared with a variety of recipes originating from different Asian cultures and contains ingredients that make it both sour and spicy. Chinese hot and sour soup is considered to have certain properties that help reduce the symptoms of the common cold. The soup traditionally contains mushrooms, pork loin and tofu in chicken broth that’s seasoned with chill peppers, garlic, ginger, onions and vinegar, then thickened with beaten eggs and corn-starch.

In This Article We Will Discuss the Different Health Benefits of Hot and Sour Soup

Low Calorie Content

A typical bowl of Hot and Sour Soup contains around 91 calories, which may vary according to the recipe (if you add or delete some ingredients). A usual serving of Hot and Sour Soup contains 6 grams of protein, 10 grams of carbohydrates and almost 3 grams of fat, including only 0.5 grams of unhealthy saturated fat which is just about 4% of daily value for fat that is required by a human body.

Hence, you can say that hot and sour soup is relatively a low-fat appetizer option for those health conscious individuals who are always counting their calories.

Helps to decrease inflammatory response

Since a typical hot and sour soup recipe includes chicken broth or stock, it is known to prevent the movement of white blood cells or neutrophils that are responsible for inflammation; symptoms are very similar to that of a cold i.e. coughing and mucus build-up.

Researchers believe that Hot and Sour Soup and other similar soups might help to lower the effect of neutrophils in individuals.

Helps to clear up Sinuses

Congestion along with a headache and stuffy nose is a common symptom of a sinus cold, and consuming a lot of hot liquid and inhaling steam can help reduce sinus stuffiness.

A hot bowl of hot and sour soup solves both these problems.

Includes Peppers which act as an alternative for decongestants

Peppers have capsaicin in them which is a compound that binds to heat sensitive pain receptors in your skin, mouth and nose. This results in more production of mucus and thins out existing mucus that makes the process of elimination easier.

Since pepper is a natural decongestant, it might not entirely cure your cold, but it helps you to breathe easily and reduce the sinus pressure and the risk of infections that might develop in excess mucus.

Has Manganese and Other Micronutrients

The main micronutrient that is present in hot and sour soup is manganese which is required for bone development and metabolism.

This soup also includes many other essential nutrients like niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, phosphorus, iron and magnesium.

High in Sodium

The only drawback of consuming Hot and Sour Soup is that it is high on sodium as it contains around 837 milligrams of sodium which is a bit too high and can lead to high blood pressure.

If you choose to start your meal with Hot and Sour Soup then you need to make sure that you opt for low sodium options for the rest of the day. To do this you can opt for vegetables that are lightly fried. Also limit the amount of sauce that you consume.

Author Bio:

The article is presented by Sharda Hospital and rounds up the health benefits of the Chinese delicacy, Hot and Sour Soup. Sharda Hospital is one of the largest super specialty hospitals in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR).

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