RECOVERY

Nutrition

Does Chicken Soup Actually Make You Feel Better?

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History: The use of chicken soup to cure colds dates back to the 12th century. A Jewish physician and philosopher, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimonides, started to write extensively about the benefits of chicken soup. The Rabbi used his soup to treat common colds, hemorrhoids, and constipation.

Dr. Stephen Rennard, a MD at the University of Nebraska Medical Center conducted an experiment to see the effect of chicken soup on the body. Rennard added homemade chicken soup to white blood cells, called neutrophils. Rennard concluded that the chemicals in the broth can clear a stuffy nose by inhibiting inflammation of nasal passage cells. Rennard stated that chicken soup acts as a relief for a cold, not a cure.

The chicken in chicken soup contains an amino acid called cysteine. Cysteine thins the mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough out. The hot chicken vapor can also help clear the cold in your nose. Carrots provide a natural source of beta-carotene. The body converts the beta-carotene into vitamin A. Vitamin A enhances white blood cells that help kill harmful bacteria. Onions in the soup are an excellent source of quercetin which is a powerful anti-oxidant and an anti-inflammatory.

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