Soup and Gut Health: Exploring the Relationship between Soups and Digestion

There are many reasons to enjoy a delicious bowl of soup, and one of these benefits is digestion. Being able to digest your food and keep your digestive system happy properly is something that you can enjoy with soup. A relationship between digestion and soup does exist and you can explore it here.

Table of Contents show

What Does a Healthy Digestive System Need?

A healthy digestive system needs a variety of fruits and veggies, which are often added to soups to round them out and bring a meal together. While fresh is obviously the best, cooking them in a soup from fresh can be just what your digestive system needs to keep moving.

Water and liquids are also an essential part of a healthy digestive system and that is also a big part of soup. You can expect lots of additional liquid in soup compared to other dishes. Just because I enjoy soup regularly doesn’t mean I stop with my water intake. I do use this to help though, if I have had a long day and might be missing some ounces.

When your digestive system does not have the different components that it needs to function, you may find yourself with issues and unable to use the bathroom. Honestly, that is so uncomfortable and can truly impact your day-to-day. I like to keep my system flowing by enjoying soup regularly.

Supporting Digestion

Soups are easy to support digestion because most of them include one or more veggie ingredients that is good for your system. Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables are some of the best that you can add to your soup to get the veggies you need. A half a cup of spinach leaves or kale can take your digestive system a long way for several days.

Soups also avoid artificial ingredients, which is one of the greatest things for your digestive system. Soup isn’t generally sweet, and this savory dish can be exactly what you need when your stomach isn’t feeling well and you need to get it back in order.

Because of the support that soup offers digestion, it is great to meal prep these soups so that you can enjoy them daily. Even if you are not eating well for the other meals of your day, you can at least know you are getting what you need when you enjoy your soup.

Benefits of Bone Broth

Probably the best thing you can give your gut is bone broth on a regular basis. Bone broth offers many benefits that include supporting digestive health and offering the amino acid necessary to keep the tissue in your gut intact so that there are not any additional issues happening in your digestive system.

Benefits Overall Health

If you have dietary restrictions such as salt restrictions and high cholesterol, bone broth is a great option to use instead of salty pork options that you may be adding to flavor your soup. It has a natural umami flavor and can provide the essential nutrients that your body needs not only for your digestive system but also for your joints and immune system.

Keeps You Hydrated

One of the most important ways to keep your system healthy is to embrace lots of water and liquid. Bone stock provides your body with the additional liquid, maintaining hydration when you add it to the soup. There are some of the electrolytes that your body needs regularly in bone broth, which is why it should be the base of any soup you are making when you do not feel well.

Adding additional sodium, potassium, and calcium to your diet can get your immune system stabilized so that other systems will function properly.

Other Ingredients That Help With Digestion

If you do not have bone broth available or want to add in some other ingredients in a creamy soup, there are others that are just as beneficial to your digestive system.

Greens

A cup of leafy greens can go a long way for your digestive system in a pot of soup. They don’t take but a couple of minutes to wilt down and then the soup is served. Feel free to add from the following list:

Spinach
Kale
Collards
Mustard greens
Arugula

I will say that these greens all have Vitamin A, Vitamin K and calcium, however the amounts can vary. If you are prone to kidney stones, you may not want to use as much spinach, since it has high levels of calcium.

I love spinach, but it doesn’t love me back, so I just add a few leaves of it with kale and collard leaves in any soup that calls for spinach. If you want digestive support and a bit of a peppery taste to your soup, toss in a few leaves of arugula.

Brown Rice

If you have a soup that calls for a cup of rice, make sure you add in the brown rice option. It is still packed with all the nutrients that white rice is stripped of, and can aid in your digestive support. You can add this to either a broth based soup or a creamy soup. Brown rice and whole grains are also packed full of fiber that your body needs to keep the system moving.

Lean Seafood and Poultry

If you are suffering from a sensitive digestive system like Irritable Bowel Syndrome then you should avoid high-fat meats like beef and salty pork. Instead, opt for a lean chicken or turkey option in your soup. If you are looking for seafood, then salmon is the best choice. You want to keep it lean so that when your system is digesting your food, it is producing only healthy bacteria and not the unpleasant kind caused by beef and other red meats.

Enjoy Soup Regularly

If you are experiencing issues with your digestive system, it is time to enjoy soup regularly in your diet. Making soup a couple of times a week will ensure that your body gets what it needs to keep the system secure, producing the right bacteria, and flowing properly.

Soup is something that is easy to digest, and you can customize it to fit your dietary preferences so that you are always getting the nutrients and digestive support that you need. Even if you are not currently experiencing issues with your digestive system, make sure that you keep soup in your routine for preventative measures. A few of these ingredients a week will go a long way with your body and help you stay healthy all year long.

Soup and Gut Health: Exploring the Relationship between Soups and Digestion

What Does a Healthy Digestive System Need?

Supporting Digestion