Can Chicken Soup Make You Better, Faster?
By Randi Morse
When you have a cold you just feel yucky, and that's never fun. One of the most annoying things about having a cold is how it seems to hang on forever. I try all sorts of different remedies to try to get the cold to disappear as quickly as possible. I've used plenty of pharmaceutical methods, but I found that one of the best ways to get rid of a cold is good old-fashioned chicken soup.
Chicken Soup
There are no studies that prove that chicken soup helps to shorten the life of a cold, but there are some pieces of evidence, aside from anecdotal ones, that point toward chicken soup having some amazing healing qualities. Researchers studied the movement of a specific type of white blood cell. They found that when the chicken soup was introduced into the system, this specific white blood cell tended to move in such a way that it was possible the soup was causing an anti-inflammatory reaction. The study, however, was done in a laboratory, which means that there is still no solid evidence that points to chicken soup being a medicinal cure in the human body.
The Smell
Another study that was completed around 40 years ago tested whether the smell of chicken soup could help to clear sinuses. The researchers chose 15 volunteers who agreed to have a bacteria or virus introduced into their nose. When they introduced chicken soup, they discovered that the virus seemed to react the most strongly, leading the researchers to believe that the smell of chicken soup may have some medicinal value. Again, there is no solid proof that chicken soup will help clear your sinus is, but the evidence seems to point in that direction.
Nutrients
If all else fails, at least you'll get some serious nutrients into your body when you're drinking chicken soup. It can be difficult, when you're sick, to want to eat. Eating while you're ill is extremely important as it gives the body the nutrients it needs to fight off the virus. Chicken soup is full of vitamins and minerals which gives your body fuel so that even if you are only able to eat one bowl of soup you are getting a decent amount of nutrients. And because chicken soup is a liquid, you're keeping your hydration up, which is also important.
So no, there is no solid proof that chicken soup is the best cure for a cold. But just because science hasn't been able to prove it yet doesn't mean that it can't help you feel better when you're sick.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Southlake, Tex.