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The secret to why chicken soup is good for us lies in its ingredients.
- author, Colby Tieman
- Role, Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Dayton
For centuries, cooking a bowl of chicken soup for a loved one when they were sick was a common practice around the world.
Today, generations of people from almost all cultures believe in the benefits of this food. In the United States, it’s usually made with noodles, but each place has a different recipe.
As a treatment, chicken soup Dating back to 60 AD and Pedanius Dioscorides, a military physician who served under the Roman emperor Nero and whose five-volume medical encyclopedia spread over more than a thousand years It has been a reference for early therapists.
But is there scientific evidence to support the belief that it benefits our health? Or does chicken soup simply serve as a soothing placebo, providing psychological benefits when we are sick, without any real therapeutic effect?
Here I tell you the truth about its healing powers.
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In many cultures, it is customary to give chicken soup to people who are sick.
Better appetite, better digestion
As a registered dietitian and professor of nutrition and dietetics, I know the appeal of chicken soup: the warmth of the broth and the rich, umami flavor of the chicken, vegetables, and noodles.
What gives soup its unique flavor is “Umami”, the fifth category of taste, along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.it is usually described as “meaty” flavor.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and the amino acid glutamate is found in umami foods. However, not all umami foods are meat or poultry; cheese, mushrooms, miso, and soy sauce also have it.
It turns out, research shows Taste is essential The healing properties of chicken soup.
When I see patients with upper respiratory illnesses, I notice that many of them suddenly eat less or not at all. This is because acute illness triggers an inflammatory response that reduces appetite.
Not wanting to eat means a person is less likely to get the nutrients they need, which is not optimal for immune health and recovery from illness.
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But the evidence shows The umami flavor of chicken soup may help stimulate appetite. Participants in one study said they felt hungrier after trying an umami soup for the first time that researchers added.
Other studies show that umami also May improve nutrient digestion. Once our brains sense umami through taste receptors on our tongues, the body prepares the digestive tract to absorb protein more easily.
This can relieve the gastrointestinal symptoms that many people experience when they are unwell.
Although most people don’t associate upper respiratory tract infections with gastrointestinal symptoms, studies in children have found that influenza viruses can worsen symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
May reduce inflammation and nasal congestion
Inflammation is part of the body’s natural response to injury or disease. This occurs when white blood cells migrate to the affected tissue to aid in healing.
When this inflammatory process occurs in the upper respiratory tract, Produces common cold and flu symptomssuch as stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and thick mucus.
Conversely, reducing white blood cell activity in the nasal passages can reduce inflammation.
Interestingly, research shows Chicken soup can reduce the number of white blood cells flowing to inflamed tissue. It does this by directly inhibiting the ability of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, to enter inflamed tissue.
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Drinking chicken soup when you have a cold can help relax mucous membranes.
Main ingredients
To truly understand the calming and healing properties of chicken soup, it’s important to Consider your ingredients.
Not all chicken soups are packed with nutritional healing properties. For example, Ultra-processed canned foods, whether containing noodles or not, lack many of the antioxidants found in homemade foods. Most canned foods actually contain no vegetables.
The key nutrients in homemade soups are what differentiate these varieties from canned soups.
Chicken provides the body with a complete source of protein that fights infections. Vegetables provide a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. When prepared the American way, noodles provide an easily digestible source of carbohydrates that your body can use for energy and recovery.
Even hot chicken soup can help. Drinking liquids and inhaling the vapors increases the temperature of the nasal cavity and respiratory tract, which loosens the thick mucus that often accompanies respiratory illnesses.
Research shows that chicken soup is more effective at fighting mucus than hot water alone.
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Canned chicken soup may not contain all the nutrients you need to fight a cold. Most of them are missing, like vegetables.
Herbs and spices sometimes used in chicken broth, such as pepper and garlic, can also help clear mucus. Broth contains water and electrolytes to aid in rehydration.
so, To maximize the health benefits of chicken broth, I recommend homemade chicken brothcan be made with ingredients such as carrots, celery, fresh garlic, herbs and spices.
But if you want a more convenient option, check ingredient labels and nutritional information and choose soups with a variety of vegetables instead of ultra-processed, nutrient-drained soups.
In short, the latest scientific research shows that chicken soup, while not a definite cure for colds and flu, can actually be beneficial to sufferers.
It seems grandma was right again.
This article originally appeared on The Conversation.right to use here Read the English version.
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