Why is Chicken Soup So Good For a Cold?

        It starts. You feel it coming on. A stuffy nose. A headache, followed by fatigue and chills. Then you feel a sore throat start to grab you in its clutches. You finally accept the reality; you are sick. Even us healthy eaters fall prey to sickness from time to time.

        So many of us reach for that time old classic; a hot steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup. Cuddling up with a warm blanket, your favorite movie and a great bowl of soup may really be what the doctor ordered. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you get your mum to make her favorite family recipe. What is so special about soup when we’re sick? Why does it make us feel so good? Well, as it turns out, soup has many good things in it for healing, as well as nutritional value to promote health and vitality. It is essentially an entire meal in one bowl!

        Moms everywhere know full-well the benefits soup can have, and most reach for their soup recipe before they run to the medicine cabinet. Scientists are now backing up what moms have already known, especially with all the controversy surrounding cold medicines for children. Let’s take a look.

• Steam – Steam is the first soothing thing we feel. It loosens up congestion, and clears the nasal passages as you sniff it in.
• Hydrating – Soup, of course is hydrating with all that water that is used. Staying hydrated is key to being well once again. All this liquid is usually very salty, which also naturally soothes a sore throat by thinning out the mucous.
• Nutrition – Soups are made with numerous different types and varieties of vegetables and herbs which provide immune support. These contain antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and potassium, as well as protein from chicken. (This soup can be made with or without chicken.) When chicken is used, it contains an amino acid called cysteine, released during cooking, that is similar to the drug acetylcysteine, found in cold medicines on the market today. Soup is an easy way to get in extra calories at a time when our symptoms may make it unbearable to eat.
• Anti-Inflammatory - Researchers have theorized that soup appears to hinder the movement of certain immune cells, called neutrophils (a form of white blood cells), along the surface of mucous membranes. Cough and congestion are caused by inflammation that is produced by neutrophils that have migrated to the bronchial tubes. The soothing heat from the soup stops the accumulation of these white blood cells. 

It is said that about 87% of people treat their cold symptoms with natural remedies. There you have it. Soup is definitely one of those soul-satisfying comfort foods that not only make you feel good on the inside, but also on the outside. Who wants a steaming bowl of soup now?  

Try my basic soup recipe here, on My Favorite Recipes tab!

I am not a doctor, a chemist, nor a dermatologist. I am only a mom, sharing my opinion of life experiences and what I was taught in the AFPA certification program, who wants to provide a more natural and healthy lifestyle for my family and others. The information contained on the Honey Hill Naturals or blog websites is provided for informational purposes only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other qualified health care practitioner. The information available on or through the Honey Hill Naturals newsletters, or (including, but not limited to, information that may be provided by writers, editors, healthcare and/or nutrition professionals employed by, or contracting with, Honey Hill Naturals and / or their associates), is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or prescribe medication. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements or ailments on any of the above sites or newsletters, may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States of America.