Canned Soup

Is canned soup really healthy for us? Or is it not? The following article will try to throw some light on this issue.

Canned items came about to save people's time and effort. Busy lives and what not. And so it settled into society rather comfortably. Then the everlasting issue arose - canned foods vs natural foods. Which are better for us and why. In the same lines of that then, follows the question about canned soup - Is there a concept about healthy canned soup or is it that all the brands of canned soup is just as bad for our health, no matter what? Let us try and find out exactly that through this article.

Canned Soup Reviews

Is canned soup bad for you? Simple answer? Yes it is. Very much so. That urge to eliminate the efforts of cooking soup from scratch and reaching instead for that tantalizing pack of canned soup, just sitting there on the shelf, waiting for you to pick it up, are probably always going to be too high to ignore. But before you do that, let's first take you through why canned soup recipes should be left on their own.

Excess Salt

Ever felt a salty residue in your mouth after you're done with your bowl of canned soup? That happens because canned soup has a overload of salt and sodium in it. Why? To preserve it for long. So what's wrong with salt? Let's give you a brief idea - a profusion of salt levels can create havoc in your body. Excess salt leads to water retention (edema) which makes you end up feeling bloated and heavy. It also leads to other health complications like high blood pressure, risks of heart arrests, stomach cancer, kidney malfunction, asthma, osteoporosis and others.

We need salt in very less amounts (2,300 mg) but canned soup usually contains way more than that. We need only the above mentioned amount everyday but end up eating a lot more than that. Over time, the salt and sodium levels in our bodies will go up and invariably lead to health problems.

Preservatives

Just as canned goods require salt and sodium for preservation, they also need other preservatives for the same. These usually include preservatives like Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Potassium benzoate, Benzoic acid, Tartrazine, Potassium nitrate., Sodium sulphite, and Sulphur dioxide among others. All of these not only take away from the natural textures and tastes of the food, but leave in their wake a number of other health issues. So even if it is a low carb canned soup, and let's assume that that is healthy, the inclusion of all these other preservatives works to negate its effect any which way, so it would do you good to understand the MSG side effects and other preservatives in food to avoid.

Preservation Methods

For canned goods to last, not only are preservatives added, but the way in which the goods are prepared is also completely different and need not always follow a very healthy route. Normal vegetables and meats won't last in canned soup. For them to last, they are either grown in a hybrid manner and then added to the can or artificial means of storing them are used. These include taking out all their water content so that they shrivel up and thus, last in the soup. This I'm sure is pretty obvious that a normal piece of carrot and one that is found in a can of soup, does not taste the same and neither does it look the same. It does not provide the same health benefits either!

Weight Gain

All those trying to watch their weight - there should be warning bells ringing every time you reach for canned soup. The excess of all these preservatives and salts is not only going to lead to other health issues but also lead to tremendous weight gain and obesity! The entry of foreign substances puts a lot on pressure on the digestive system such that proper digestion does not happen (that by itself gives rise to several problems) but it also works by storing the excess fat and preservative in our body. This in turn increases the toxic levels of the body and leads to a lowered metabolism and thus, weight gain.

Over-consumption

The servings for canned soup is usually meant for two or more people. But the amount is less, so that one ends up consuming the entire contents by themselves. Direct translation? You are eating the sodium/fats/preservatives that were supposed to be distributed among two people all by yourself! Thus it will harm you more because it's a direct overload on your system. If you know what are the processed foods to avoid along with canned soup, you can be aware of this.

The next time you reach for that canned soup, check the ingredients list carefully and see for yourself what you're trying to get into your stomach. Instead of nourishing you, many of these items which undergo canning are simply attacking you. Let not that which was meant to nourish, poison you instead.