Canned soup: "Comfort foods" that threaten your health

January 25, 2020

It looks like such a healthy idea . . . a can of tomato or chicken noodle soup. Plus, there are all those associations we have with being fed a steaming bowl of soup on a TV tray while we lie in bed recovering from a horrible cold.

But, that may not be always so true.

Now, first let me say there is good news. Some organic brands of canned soup like Amy’s Organics are absolutely delicious and are way less toxic than more commercial brands. Imagine Food’s organic soups are also on the list of safe soups to consume, as well as other organic brands like Wolfgang Puck’s.

Of course, if you really want the "best" kind of soup ... nothing beats homemade from scratch. Having said that, I’ll give you a list of healthy canned soups that are delicious, nutritious, and safe at the end of this article.

But, first, what’s so bad about canned soup?

BPA is an endocrine disruptor that can cause hormone-based cancers

Study after study has confirmed that canned soup is loaded with bisphenol-A or BPA, for short. BPA is an endocrine disruptor that throws our hormones completely out of balance and can cause estrogen dominance, which can lead to the development of breast cancer, uterine and endometrial cancer, and prostate cancer.

BPA is also terrible for bone health

BPA blocks calcium channels, preventing calcium from making it into the bone, where you need it to give your bones strength and resilience to breakage. A recent article published in the International Journal of Medical Science found that BPA blocks calcium absorption at a cellular level.

Canned soup contains too much sodium, making it a threat to kidney health

Just one can of soup can contain as much as one third of your RDA for sodium! Light soups often have even more sodium added in the manufacturer’s efforts to give the soup more flavor.

Individuals with insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease who are trying to avoid sodium definitely want to avoid canned soup for this reason. Persons trying to stay in good health should steer clear of soups containing too much sodium as well.

Canned soup is loaded with MSG – a major cause of diabetes and insulin resistance

Scientists have now linked MSG with insulin resistance, obesity, and possibly type 2 diabetes. In fact, in China today, diabetes is becoming an epidemic, and scientists believe additives like MSG and adopting a chiefly Western diet full of fast food and processed foods could be largely to blame.

Safe brands of canned soup include: