Is it okay to eat old hen stew during confinement?

　　The reason why old hen soup is highly praised by many people is mainly because according to traditional Chinese medicine, the chicken of the hen is yin, which is more suitable for pregnant women, the elderly, the weak and those who are weak due to long-term illness. Due to the long growth period of old hens, the chicken meat contains more umami substances than young chickens. This is the main reason why the chicken soup tastes more delicious. In addition, the fat content of old hens is relatively high, and the stewed soup is more fragrant.

　　However, nutritionally speaking, the nutritional content of chicken chicken is much higher than that of old hens. First of all, the meat of young chickens contains more protein, while the meat of old hens contains less protein. Secondly, the chicken meat of old hens only accounts for 40% of its body weight, and most of it is fat and elastic connective tissue. Elastic connective tissue is a kind of elastin that is insoluble in water and can only be absorbed by the human body in small amounts, which will reduce the nutritional value of old hens. After the chicken is cooked, the chicken separates easily and becomes tender and soft. This shows that it contains less elastic connective tissue and the nutrients are more conducive to human body digestion and absorption.

　　In response to the claim that drinking old hen soup is beneficial to maternal nourishment, recent studies have shown that women who have just given birth should not drink old hen soup immediately. This is because the body of the hen contains more estrogen (the older the hen, the more estrogen in the body), which will inhibit the secretion of prolactin after being absorbed by the mother, resulting in insufficient milk or even no milk in the mother. Therefore, there is no need to be superstitious about the role of old hen stew when nourishing.