It’s a common home remedy that our mothers would have us eat when we have the cold or the flu: chicken soup. It seems almost every culture in the world has some variation of the chicken soup remedy, but does it really work? Can chicken with some noodles, vegetables, and broth really cure our upper respiratory illnesses and bring down that fever? Or is it just some placebo?
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Colby Teeman, an assistant professor of dietetics and nutrition at the University of Dayton, answers that question. And the answer is not as complicated as we might think. Remember that our bodies have a defense mechanism that can stave off and eradicate any kind of infection, the immune system. The only way to help the immune system fight off illnesses is to give it the proper fuel, and we do that by eating food. However, while we’re sick, what generally happens is a loss of appetite, and so we’re not able to provide ample energy and nutrients for our immune system to kill the pathogens. That’s where chicken soup comes in. And not just any old chicken soup. Prof. Teeman suggests homemade chicken soup is the best way to go.
For a more detailed explanation as to how homemade chicken soup helps us feel better when we’re sick, check out his article on The Conversation.
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Source: neatorama