In winter, if a member of the household falls ill due to cold, apart from medicine, a tried and tested recipe for centuries is to prepare a bowl of chicken soup for them.
Apart from the disease, as soon as the winter season starts in Pakistan, chicken soup stalls are set up in every street and neighborhood and people use a bowl of hot soup as a break from the cold.
People from virtually every culture and every region rely on the benefits of chicken ‘soup’. In America it is usually made with noodles while in Pakistan without noodles. But when the soup is to be used as a remedy or medicine, its composition varies according to each region and its taste.
Chicken soup has been used since 60 AD.
Pedanius Dioscorides was a well-known military surgeon who also served under the Roman emperor Nero. His five-volume medical encyclopedia has been used by physicians and sages around the world for more than a thousand years.
But is there any scientific evidence to believe and support that soup is beneficial for our health? Or does chicken soup serve only as a comfort food?
Better appetite, better digestion
As a registered dietitian I am well aware of the benefits of chicken soup.
When I see patients suffering from respiratory diseases, there are many patients who have very little appetite. This is because acute illnesses trigger inflammatory processes in the human body that can reduce appetite.
Not wanting to eat or not wanting to eat anything can also mean that the person is not getting the nutrients they need, and this can affect the immune system and recovery from illness. It is not better.
But evidence suggests that the ‘umami’ taste of chicken soup can help stimulate an increased appetite. Participants in one study said they felt hungrier after tasting the umami-flavored soup added by the researchers.
What gives soup its unique flavor is ‘umami’ (umami is the fifth taste after the four basic tastes of sweet, salty, sour and bitter and is commonly found in Japanese cuisine. goes, as in soup).
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and the amino acid glutamate is found in umami-flavored foods. However, not all umami foods are meat or poultry. Cheese, mushroom, miso and soy sauce are also included.
As studies show, this umami flavor is key to chicken soup’s healing properties.
Other studies have suggested that umami nutrients may also improve digestion. Once our brain senses umami through the taste receptors on our tongue, the body prepares the digestive tract to absorb the protein more easily.
Although most people do not associate respiratory infections with gastrointestinal symptoms, research in children has shown that the flu virus has increased symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
May reduce inflammation and nasal congestion
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to any injury or disease. This occurs when white blood cells migrate to the affected tissues to aid in healing.
When this inflammatory process occurs in the body’s upper respiratory tract, it causes common cold and flu symptoms, such as a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and phlegm.
Conversely, reduced activity of white blood cells in the nasal passages may reduce inflammation.
Interestingly, research shows that chicken soup can reduce the number of white blood cells that travel to inflamed tissues. It directly blocks the ability of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, to migrate into inflamed tissue.
Important ingredients
To truly understand the soothing and healing effects of chicken soup, it’s important to consider its ingredients.
Not all chicken soups are full of nutritious healing properties. For example, ultra-processed canned versions with and without noodles lack many of the antioxidants found in homemade versions. Most canned versions are practically devoid of vegetables.
The key nutrients in homemade versions of soup are what separate these varieties from the canned variety.
Chicken provides a complete source of protein for the body to fight infection. Vegetables provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If the soup is prepared American-style, the noodles provide an easily digestible carbohydrate source that your body uses for energy and recovery.
Even the heat of chicken soup can help. Drinking any food in liquid form and inhaling the vapors increases the temperature of the nose and respiratory tract, which reduces mucus complaints.
Compared to just hot water, studies show that chicken soup is more effective against mucus.
Herbs and spices that are sometimes used in chicken soup, such as black pepper and garlic, also help loosen mucus. Broth, which contains water and electrolytes, helps with rehydration.
So, to maximize the health benefits of chicken soup, I recommend preparing a homemade version of the soup, which can be made with carrots, celery, fresh garlic, herbs and spices.
But if you need a simpler option, check ingredient labels and nutrition facts, and choose soups with a variety of vegetables instead of ultra-processed, nutrient-free ones.
In short, the latest science suggests that chicken soup, while not a complete cure for colds and flu, actually benefits patients.
It seems that Grandmother’s words are proving right once again.