Myth Buster Monday - Chicken Soup Cures Colds

MYTH: Chicken Soup Can Cure the Common Cold

As summer comes to an end and the cool winds of change blow as the fall weather begins to make its presence know; you can smell the newly sharpened pencils, hear the shuffling of papers and watch the children on the playground. Each day at school there is the regular routine of passing periods, passing notes and passing GERMS. It is amazing to me that you can go through the whole summer without a sneeze or a sniffle but two days after school starts you spend the next week recovering from your first cold of the season.

I like how livescience.com  covers this myth:

Cure is a strong word, but science suggests Moms around the world are still right in forcing spoonfuls of chicken soup down their kids' throats. Studies have found that the broth actually contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce congestion.[source]

The Lawerance Journal-World goes into more detail how this is tested:

Basically, it worked this way: Rennard and his colleagues collected neutrophil samples from healthy volunteers. Neutrophils are white blood cells that defend against infections. Chicken soups tested by the researchers had anti-inflammatory agents that reduced the movement of neutrophils. Although it’s not completely understood, scientists think reducing movement in neutrophils can help ease the symptoms associated with a cold. “The chemistry is very complicated,” Rennard says. “The chemistry of the soup is probably different than all the different components.”[source]

I always remember having soup when I was sick, but for me it was only thing that sounded good. I am sure that there are good elements to having a warm health meal while you're sick; I would say that chicken soup is a helpful tool to getting over a cold but not a 'cure'.

Conclusion: False

What are your thoughts about this myth, let us know in the comments

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