The dog days came, and the weather was so hot that it was unbearable, so Aunt Qiu thought about cooking some mung bean soup to cool off. Mung bean soup is in her eyes, but it is a good product to relieve the heat, it tastes fresh and refreshing, and it can also clear the fire and detoxify.
But just a few days ago, when she was chatting with Aunt Wang, Aunt Wang reminded her: "Although mung bean soup is good, drinking too much may raise blood sugar." This made Aunt Qiu feel shocked, because she is a diabetic herself, and blood sugar problems have always been a big problem on her mind.
Aunt Qiu began to mutter: I have been drinking mung bean soup for so many years, why is it suddenly related to blood sugar?
1. Drinking mung bean soup in summer, does it raise blood sugar or lower blood sugar?
In hot weather, many people will cook a big pot of mung bean soup, put it in the refrigerator for a while, and when they are thirsty, they will have a bowl to eliminate the heat. But some people say that drinking too much mung bean soup is easy to raise blood sugar, is this true?
In fact, mung bean soup generally has little effect on blood sugar, and even slightly tends to lower blood sugar. Mung beans themselves don't contain much sugar and are rich in fiber, which helps control blood sugar levels and allows blood sugar to rise more slowly.
From the perspective of glycemic index, the GI value of mung bean is only 27, which is a low GI food, which means that it digests slowly and blood sugar will not soar all at once. If mung bean soup is cooked lightly and without sugar, it can quench thirst without adding too many calories, which is a good product for diabetics to cool off and control sugar.
Cao Xuexia, deputy chief physician of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, reminded that friends with high blood sugar can eat mung beans with confidence, but there must be a degree, don't eat too much, and don't use mung beans as a staple food.
As the saying goes, "a mung bean is better than a thousand gold", mung beans are not only friendly to people with high blood sugar, but also have a variety of health benefits.
Clearing heat and detoxifying: "A bowl of mung bean soup in summer, detoxification and heatstroke race", mung beans can clear the heat and invigorate qi, quench thirst and diuretic, help replenish lost water and electrolytes, maintain the balance of water and electrolytes, and are suitable for people working in high temperature environments.
Diuresis and swelling: When edema occurs or urination is not good, you can drink a bowl of mung bean soup, mung bean diuretic, can relieve body edema.
Strengthen the spleen and stomach: Mung beans are rich in dietary fiber, which can strengthen the spleen and stomach, promote intestinal peristalsis, prevent and improve constipation.
Calm the five organs: Mung beans can calm the fire of the five organs, and have a relieving effect on problems such as mouth and tongue sores and red and swollen eyes caused by strong internal fire.
Although mung beans are good, Dr. Hong Dongxu of the Department of Nutrition of the First Hospital of Jilin University reminded that there are four types of people who should eat less mung beans: cold constitution, weak constitution, children and people who are taking various medicines.
2. Is mung bean soup better red or green?
Some people say that authentic mung bean soup should be red, but it is also mung bean soup, why is it that some people boil it out and some people cook it out but it is green? Which color is healthier?
Zhang Jing, director of the nutrition department of Shanghai Tongren Hospital, once explained this problem on the official account of "Shanghai Internet Rumors".
She mentioned that the difference in the color of mung bean soup is mainly due to the different way and time it is cooked. If you cook it quickly over high heat, the soup will maintain the green color of the mung bean skin; If you cook for a long time, or if you use an iron pot, the color of the soup will easily turn red. There is no set color standard for mung bean soup, both green and red are normal.
So, is mung bean soup better green or red?
Professor Fan Zhihong of the College of Food Science and Technology of China Agricultural University believes that mung bean soup with a green color is more beneficial to health.
Mung bean soup contains polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants that are good for the body. Some studies have found that if mung bean soup looks yellow or green, it has a relatively high polyphenol content and stronger antioxidant ability.
While the green ones have a bit more antioxidant power, the red ones are just as healthy. So, you don't have to pick the color, it's beneficial to drink any of them.
3. Dog days, these 4 taboos to avoid
It's dog days now, and drinking mung bean soup can only relieve the heat, but if you want to avoid heat stroke, you have to be careful not to step into these summer "forbidden areas".
1. Do not blow the air conditioner violently
The hottest dog days of summer are coming, and many people turn on the air conditioner all day long, but the air conditioner blows too hard, which can cause cervical spondylosis. In addition, staying in an air-conditioned environment for a long time will reduce the body's ability to adjust and make it easy to suffer from air-conditioning disease. It is recommended to open windows appropriately for ventilation to maintain indoor air circulation.
2. Avoid outdoor activities in high temperatures
Dog days are prone to heat stroke due to high temperatures and strong sunlight, so you should try to minimize your time in the scorching sun, especially in the middle of the day. If you must go out, choose early morning or late afternoon and bring sunscreen.
3. Avoid taking a nap for too long
Don't take too long a nap, if you sleep too long, your brain will go into a state of deep rest, your blood flow will slow down, and your metabolism will slow down. Maintain a regular routine, stay up late, and get enough sleep to help prevent heat stroke. When sleeping, don't let the air conditioner or electric fan blow directly, it is easy to catch a cold.
4. Do not take a cold shower immediately
Dog days are particularly hot, but don't rush to cool down when you get back. Dr. Huang Li of China-Japan Hospital reminded that the pores are open after sweating in summer, and it is easy to catch a cold when taking a cold shower at this time. Cold water can cause blood vessels to constrict suddenly, raising blood pressure and undersupplying blood to the heart, which is more risky for the elderly with high blood pressure.
Mung bean soup not only does not raise blood sugar, but also clears away heat and detoxification, strengthens the spleen and stomach, and has many benefits.
Resources:
[1] "Will mung bean soup turn red? Expert: Green mung bean soup is better! 》. Health Times.2024-07-13
[2] "Follow the old saying to learn health: three dogs are inseparable from mung bean soup, and the brazier on your head is unharmed!" 》. Human Health & Health.2024-07-12
[3] "Is the "green" bean soup you drink red or green? 》. Popular Science China.2022-07-27
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