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Chicken soup: Cold and flu season fighter

By Kristin Emery 4 min read
article image - MetroCreative
The ingredients in chicken soup can help fuel your body to aid in recovery from a cold or flu.

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We know chicken soup tastes good, but this winter go-to has also been a popular home remedy for the common cold and flu since at least the 12th century, when Jewish scholars touted its effectiveness. With colds, flu, COVID-19 and RSV all in full force this winter season, can chicken soup really help us fight off what ails us?

Some of the illness-fighting ingredients in chicken soup made from stock are minerals like zinc, calcium and magnesium that come from boiling the bones of the chicken. Broth made from the meat itself contains selenium and phosphorus, plus vitamins and minerals from added vegetables like celery, onion, carrots and even turnips.

All of those health ingredients can help fuel your body to aid in recovery and healing. One study from the University of Nebraska found evidence that anti-inflammatory ingredients in chicken soup may also help alleviate a cold.

“It is comfort food, and it’s warm, it’s liquid,” says Dr. Amy Crawford-Faucher, a family medicine physician and vice chair of the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Primary Care Institute. “You know, it’s sustenance, and there is something in chicken and poultry that has some anti-inflammatory or other healing effects.”

Dehydration can occur when your body loses more fluid than you’re able to take in, so eating or drinking plenty of liquids helps your body stay hydrated and can help promote recovery. Liquids can also help thin or loosen mucus, so eating hot chicken soup can really help your body to get rid of it and relieve congestion. Hot liquids may help soothe your throat, and steam from hot liquids may also help relieve some of your congestion.

You’ve probably heard talk each Thanksgiving that turkey contains tryptophan, which makes you sleepy after your meal. While that’s not entirely the reason, tryptophan can help our bodies relax and chicken also contains between 238 to 256 mg per serving (a little less than turkey). White meat, like chicken breast, actually contains more tryptophan than the dark meat. “That helps you feel relaxed and sleepy, and that’s what you need to be doing when you’re sick is to get rest and get liquids, so chicken soup is good for you,” explains Crawford-Faucher. “Especially if it’s homemade, you get a warm, fuzzy feeling that someone you love made it for you, and that is healing, too, so it’s multifactorial.”

According to the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), several scientific studies have shown some nutrients in chicken soup are good for helping your body fight bacterial and viral respiratory infections:

– Allicin and phenolic compounds, the active ingredients in garlic and ginger, can help reduce inflammation.

-Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is both an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and can help boost the immune system.

-Carrots, celery, mushroom, and onion also contain minerals and antioxidants to help speed healing.

-Proteins in the chicken help build antibodies to boost your immune system.

Here’s the NFCR’s recipe for a quick, homemade, nutritious batch of chicken soup:

Healthy Homemade Chicken Soup

2 pieces of boneless organic chicken breast halves

1 green onion stalk cut into 3 pieces

Sliced ginger

Place the above ingredients into a saucepan, add rice wine to taste.

Pour enough water to cover the meat, bring to a boil then cover and turn down to simmer for 15 minutes.

While simmering the chicken, cut the following vegetables into cubes:

2 celery stalks

1 onion

1 carrot

2-3 shiitake mushrooms

Shred the chicken and transfer into a soup pot. Strain the liquid into the pot and add more water for broth.

Add vegetables and bring soup to a boil.

Cover the pot, turn down to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add white pepper, garlic powder, sea salt, and ground turmeric.

Enjoy, rest and feel better!

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