There's more to chicken soup than just folklore

February 8, 2008

Dr. Weil Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Is chicken soup really good for colds, or is this just an old wives' tale?

In some cultures, chicken soup has long been a traditional cold

remedy. I've read that Maimonides, the Jewish physician and

philosopher, recommended it in the 12th century.

But more than folk wisdom is at work here. At least one scientific

study suggests that a steaming bowl of chicken soup affords more than

comfort - although it's important not to sell comfort short.

Hot liquids in general can be soothing, if only because they require

you to slow down, sit still and sip patiently in order to consume them

without scalding yourself. What's more, a study published in the

journal Chest in 1978 showed that sipping both chicken soup and hot

water can help clear clogged nasal passages.

The best scientific evidence we have for chicken soup's cold-fighting

capacity, however, comes from a study at the University of Nebraska

where researchers exposed neutrophils, the white blood cells that

fight infections but also cause inflammation, to diluted chicken

broth. The liquid slowed the movement of the cells, suggesting that in

the body chicken soup can do the same thing. The result, if you have a

cold, would be relief of some symptoms.

The soup used in the study was from a family recipe provided by

Rennard, M.D., the lead researcher.

When the study was published in the October 2000 issue of Chest,

Rennard included the recipe, which came from his wife's grandmother.

But he and his colleagues also tested canned soups from the

supermarket and found that all but two worked as well (but didn't

taste as good) as Grandma's.

If chicken soup isn't your cup of tea, you could try some other kind.

In some cultures, fish soup is as revered as chicken soup.

And, I'm told that, on the advice of their physicians, some New

Yorkers call for delivery of hot-and-sour soup from local Chinese

restaurants when they're fighting colds. The spicy soup is said to

clear your sinuses.

-soup-than-just/

> Chicken soup may or may not have curative powers, but when you're

sick it sure is tasty.

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