Por Colby Teeman*
Making a bowl of chicken soup for a loved one when they are sick has been a common practice around the world for centuries.
Today, generations from virtually every culture swear by the benefits of this food. In the United States, it is usually prepared with noodles, but each place has a different recipe for the remedy.
As therapy, chicken soup dates back to 60 AD and to Pedanius Dioscorides, a military surgeon who served under the Roman emperor Nero, and whose five-volume medical encyclopedia was consulted by early healers for more than a millennium.
But is there any science to support the belief that it benefits our health? Or does chicken soup simply serve as a comforting placebo, that is, providing a psychological benefit while we are sick, with no real therapeutic benefit?
Here we tell the truth about its healing power.
As a registered dietitian and professor of dietetics and nutrition, I’m well aware of the appeal of chicken soup: the warmth of the broth and the rich, savory flavors of the chicken, vegetables, and noodles.
What gives the soup its distinctive flavor is the “umami”, the fifth category of taste sensations, along with sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It is often described as “meaty” flavor.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and the amino acid glutamate is found in umami-flavored foods. However, not all umami foods are meat or poultry; cheese, mushrooms, miso and soy sauce also have it.
It turns out that studies show that flavor is essential for the healing properties of chicken soup.
When I see patients with upper respiratory diseases, I notice that many of them suddenly eat less or do not eat at all. This is because acute illnesses trigger an inflammatory response that can decrease appetite.
Not feeling like eating means the person is unlikely to get the nutrients they need, which is not optimal for immune health and recovery from illness.
But the evidence suggests that The “umami” flavor of chicken soup can help stimulate appetite. Participants in one study said they felt hungrier after first trying a soup with umami flavor added by researchers.
Other studies say that umami also can improve nutrient digestion. Once our brain perceives umami through the taste receptors on our tongue, the body prepares the digestive tract to absorb proteins more easily.
This can reduce the gastrointestinal symptoms that many people experience when they are unwell.
Although most people do not associate upper respiratory infections with gastrointestinal symptoms, research in children has found that the flu virus increased symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Inflammation is part of the body’s natural response to injury or illness. It occurs when white blood cells migrate to the affected tissue to help with healing.
When this inflammatory process occurs in the upper respiratory tract, produces symptoms of the common cold and flusuch as a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and thick mucus.
Conversely, lower white blood cell activity in the nasal passages can reduce inflammation.
And interestingly, research shows that Chicken soup can reduce the number of white blood cells that travel to inflamed tissues. It does this by directly inhibiting the ability of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, to move into inflamed tissue.
To truly understand the calming and healing effects of chicken soup it is important consider your ingredients.
Not all chicken soups are packed with 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 virtually devoid of vegetables.
The main nutrients in homemade versions of the soup are what differentiate these varieties from canned ones.
Chicken provides the body with a complete source of protein to fight infections. Vegetables provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. When prepared American style, noodles provide an easily digestible source of carbohydrates that your body uses for energy and recovery.
Even the heat of chicken soup can help. Drinking the liquid and inhaling the vapors increases the temperature of the nasal and respiratory tracts, loosening the thick mucus that often accompanies respiratory illnesses.
Compared to hot water alone, studies show that chicken soup is more effective against mucus.
Herbs and spices sometimes used in chicken soup, such as pepper and garlic, also help with mucus. The broth, which contains water and electrolytes, helps with rehydration.
So, To maximize the health benefits of chicken soup, I recommend a homemade varietywhich can be made with carrots, celery, fresh garlic, herbs and spices, to name a few ingredients.
But if you need a more convenient option, check the ingredient label and nutritional information, and choose soups with a variety of vegetables instead of an ultra-processed, nutrient-depleted one.
In short, the latest science suggests that chicken soup, while not an absolute cure for colds and flu, actually benefits patients.
It seems that grandma was right again.
*Colby Teeman is a professor of nutrition and dietetics at the University of Dayton
