When you're feeling under the weather, there's nothing like a warm bowl of chicken soup...except maybe washing down a couple episodes of Wheel of Fortune with a crisp ginger ale. Chicken soup didn't become a sick day staple just because it tastes good. In reality, chicken soup is one of the best things you can have when you're sick.
Chicken soup has been used to treat sickness for thousands of years, going back to China in the 2nd century BCE. By the 12th century, when medicine was far from an exact science and lifespans were much shorter, chicken soup was a favored remedy for the common cold. But, are we all just fooling ourselves?
No, not exactly
Chicken soup may not be a health elixir that stops the common cold in its tracks, but it does have some healing properties. Research is somewhat conflicting over what those properties actually are, but there are a few things that scientists agree on.
Chicken Soup For the Dehydrated Soul
One of the most important things to remember when you're ill is to stay hydrated. It's easy to get dehydrated when you're ill. Not only does sickness make your limbs feel like they weigh a literal ton, but constant mucus and clammy sweat means your body loses fluids faster than it can produce them.
Dehydration will only make you more sluggish and delay your recovery. Chicken soup is a tasty and nutritious way to replenish fluids. The ingredients in chicken soup also add a boost of electrolytes in the form of sodium and potassium.
However, there's one other benefit of hydration that many people overlook. Warm liquids, such as chicken soup increase the flow of nasal mucus and open up your nasal cavity. This may sound gross, but it's actually beneficial.
The steam from the broth helps to temporarily relive congestion, loosening mucus better than hot or cold water. It may be gross, but loose mucus is easier to expel from the body, preventing further infection and improving your breathing. You'll quite literally breathe easier with a bowl of chicken soup.
Chicken Soup For The Inflamed Soul
Another benefit of chicken soup is its antioxidant content. A 2021 retrospective of an earlier study showed study showed that the antioxidants found in chicken soup can effectively fight inflammation. Inflammation in the lungs, throat, and nasal passages can delay recovery in addition to being painful.
Cooking down the carcass of a roasted chicken into a delicious broth releases compounds such as gelatin and glucosamine. When absorbed, these compounds help to repair connective tissue within our bodies. Additionally, the vegetables and flavorings in chicken soup such as onion, carrot, and garlic, provide even more anti-inflammatory properties to get you back on your feet.
Chicken soup is flavorful enough that it's enticing to eat, but is still gentle on sensitive stomachs. While the old adage "feed a cold, starve a fever" is not entirely correct, being sick uses up a lot of energy! Something simple, soothing, and easy to digest, like chicken soup, is an easy way to keep your strength up.
Of course, part of chicken soup's success may be a placebo. We aren't completely ignoring the nostalgic and psychosomatic effects. However, chicken soup also has science to back it up, as we have shown.
So, as we head into flu season, it doesn't hurt to have chicken soup on hand, Homemade stuff is best, not only because it's made with love, but because it lets you control the sodium, but, if all you have in your cupboard is a couple cans of Campbell's, then that's fine too. Make sure you snuggle up on the couch with your ginger ale and game shows for maximum potency.
KEEP ON READING
20 Foods With Shocking Origins You'd Never Believe
