Why is Chicken Soup Healthy?
Editor’s
Note:
Ever wonder why chicken soup is the #1 most prescribed cold and flu folk
remedy? Read today’s guest post by Leah Martins!
Before chicken soup was for the
soul, it was used by mothers everywhere as the best course to treat physical
maladies of all types (although it’s best known to remedy the common cold).
But what is it about chicken soup that makes it such a health-booster?
If it was snake oil, it would have gone out of
fashion long ago, but it continues to be used generation after generation by
concerned and conscientious caregivers. Every child has fond memories of being
bundled in a mountain of blankets to sleep away the latest cold, with a steady
diet of soup and crackers arriving periodically on a tray.
Is it just
an old wives tale, or does chicken soup really have some magical healing
properties to sooth and subjugate an array of ailments?
Well, it’s no magic potion in this day and age,
but it may as well be. Chicken soup has several properties that make it useful
in the treatment of certain illnesses:
·
Cleansing. “Plenty of
fluids” is often advised when you’re ill. A body full
of attacking allergens (like a virus) and battling antibodies needs to be
flushed in order to get healthy. To that effect, the abundant broth in chicken
soup performs aptly.
·
Disinfecting. Chicken soup
is generally fairly salty (with lower-sodium versions), so that when it
goes down your throat it acts in much the same way as gargling warm salt water.
In other words, it removes bacteria in the throat, mouth, and tonsils.
·
Clears sinuses. Much like
other warm liquids (for example, tea), it can help to clear the sinuses with
steam.
·
Strengthening. The lean
protein in chicken and nutrients from added vegetables work to bolster your
strength when your body is feeling drained of energy.
These self-explanatory health benefits alone
should convince anyone to suck down some chicken soup when they get the
sniffles!
More Reasons Why Chicken Soup is Healthy
Studies
have also shown that chicken soup affects you on a much deeper level.
For
starters, it has been shown to inhibit the production of neutrophils, white blood cells that eat
bacteria and cause inflammation and mucus production (i.e. stuffy nose, sore
throat, phlegm, etc.). This is important because while neutrophils kill pathogens,
their antimicrobial products damage host tissues.
Theoretically, chicken soup can also be used in
this capacity in cases of asthma, emphysema, and even accidents where swelling
occurs, to ease inflammation of targeted areas!
Further, each ingredient in chicken soup has its
own special healing properties:
5.
Chicken, while filling, is good for
more than just a meal. It contains cysteine, an amino
acid that is thought to help thin mucus in the lungs, making it easier to
expel.
6.
Carrots (which contain
beta-carotene) and celery
(which contains vitamin C), both of which help to bolster the immune system and
fight infection.
7.
Onions in your chicken soup provide
the benefit of antioxidants that reduce inflammation and act as an
anti-histamine.
Besides
all of the physical benefits of ingesting chicken soup, there is an added psychological reason
to take it. For many people, it is either administered by a caring relative or
it brings with it fond and comforting memories of home.
Either scenario will allow a patient to relax
and let the soup do its work to treat the symptoms. And really, we all know the
best remedy is a good attitude and plenty of rest.
About
the Author
Leah
Martins is a writer for the popular self
defense website
Hertao, where you can find great tips and advice from the pros.
Depending
on your ingredients (check this post for a chicken soup recipe), like additional veggies
and herbs and spices, it would increase the
already prominent health factor of this home remedy! What do you put in
your homemade chicken soup?
There
are many other links and recipes on this subject, too.
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