It is almost universally acknowledged that hot pot is delicious, but opinions vary as to whether the advantages of hot pot outweigh the disadvantages or the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. According to nutrition experts, hot pot can hydrolyze some indigestible substances (such as part of collagen) into absorbable nutrients, and at the same time, because of its rinsing characteristics, it can keep food fresh as much as possible within the scope permitted by food hygiene, thus reducing the nutritional loss caused by traditional cooking methods. In addition, because of its seasoning function, hot pot can also play a certain role in preventing and treating some minor diseases, such as mild cold, stuffy nose, headache and other symptoms. After eating hot pot, sweating will be relieved or even cured. If you encounter rheumatic joint pain in rainy days, eating a hot pot is conducive to eliminating the pain; In case of loss of appetite, hot pot can be a good way to stimulate appetite Its bright colors and rich taste will stimulate the sense of taste and vision, making people unconsciously increase their appetite. This is because the pepper in hot pot has the characteristics of expelling wind, smoothing qi, dispelling cold and dehumidifying. Dried peppers are rich in vitamin A and vitamin C, which can stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, thus enhancing appetite. Ginger also has the effect of sweating and relieving exterior syndrome. When these things are mixed together, they will have certain medicinal effects. And hot pot often tastes rich in dishes. In addition to all kinds of meat, there will be a lot of vegetables and bean products, which are contributing to the nutrition of hot pot. Vegetables are mostly cool and contain a lot of vitamins, chlorophyll and plant fiber, which can not only eliminate greasy, but also supplement the needs of human vitamins, as well as dispel fire, relax bowels and detoxify. Tofu contains isoflavones, which can lower cholesterol. Its rich calcium can also strengthen bones, maintain normal heart function and blood pressure, and has the effect of clearing away heat and fire.

Eating hot pot in winter to keep warm, and eating hot pot in summer is also good. Due to the humid climate in summer, sweat accumulated in the body cannot be discharged. Eating hot pot can quickly push sweat out of the body, but it makes people feel refreshed, which is why Sichuanese are still keen on hot pot in hot summer.

But eating hot pot does have many disadvantages, especially if you don't pay attention to it and ignore the correct way to eat it, you will get sick. It is understood that many foods in hot pot contain an organic compound called purine, such as animal viscera, beef and mutton, seafood, shrimps and crabs, mushrooms and so on. The content of purine is high, and eating too much can easily lead to gout. Some people mistakenly think that just drinking soup and not eating meat will be fine. In fact, the purine substance contained in broth is 30 times higher than that in normal diet, which easily leads to the increase of uric acid, the metabolite of purine in the body, and the accumulation of lactic acid in the body due to drinking, which inhibits the discharge of uric acid. This is the main reason why people who eat hot pot and drink hearty are prone to gout. At the same time, improper consumption of hot pot can easily lead to sore throat and oral ulcer, especially for some people with weak constitution and a history of chronic stomach disease and digestive tract ulcer. Because hot pot is a kind of high-calorie food, some people prefer spicy and stimulating taste, so they often burn the oral mucosa and digestive tract, mainly manifested as sore throat, oral ulcer or bleeding, and even gastrointestinal bleeding. Some people eat hot pot because the food is fresh and tender, and they often eat it before it is cooked, which increases the pressure on the digestive tract in disguise and leads to indigestion. In addition, we should also pay attention to some illegal business practices. For example, a few years ago, the media reported that the hot pot bottom material contained wax. In order to save costs, wax was added to the hot pot bottom material as butter. Just to make food beautiful, some merchants illegally use some chemical reagents such as formalin to soak food, especially seafood products. These chemicals fall off from food at high temperature and dissolve into the soup of hot pot, which is harmful to human health, causing abdominal distension, diarrhea, vomiting and even cancer.