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Story highlights
- There is limited evidence that chicken soup has medicinal properties
- Hot chicken soup was more effective than hot water in helping the body rid itself of respiratory infection
(CNN)We all know the grandmotherly wisdom of serving chicken soup to someone with a cold, but does this particular meal really have medicinal properties? Could slurping up chicken soup save me a trip to the local pharmacy?
You won't find studies in humans that prove chicken soup can fight a cold, but there's enough evidence to make it worth trying.
One study published in the medical journal Chest suggested that chicken soup might have anti-inflammatory effects, which could possibly ease symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.
Researchers specifically studied the movement of neutrophils -- a type of white blood cell -- when combined with soup. They found that the movement of neutrophils was reduced in the presence of soup, suggesting a possible anti-inflammatory mechanism that could at least theoretically alleviate cold symptoms. Or not.
Photos: 7 foods to fortify your body for winter
Photos: 7 foods to fortify your body for winter
Boost your immune system: Most everyone knows that vitamin C is key to a healthy immune system. But did you know that drinking green tea can also boost your ability to fight off viruses? Green tea contains antioxidants called catechins, which are known to have flu-fighting properties, according to Health.com. The tea also contains theophylline, which opens your airways to help you breathe easier if mucus has taken hold. In a 2007 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, participants who took two green tea capsules a day experienced fewer symptoms and instances of the cold and flu compared with a placebo group. The bonus? Green tea has also been shown to raise your metabolism, reduce your risk of heart disease and reactivate dying skin cells to help your face retrieve its spring glow. Experts recommend drinking two or three cups a day for optimum benefits.
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Photos: 7 foods to fortify your body for winter
Prevent dry skin: Niacin, riboflavin, vitamin A ... oh my! The list of nutrients needed to keep your skin healthy is longer than Santa's. The good news is that that means everything from cereal to carrots can play a role in keeping dry skin away. Let's start with niacin. The B vitamin is helpful in preventing the skin rashes and inflammation that can occur in dry weather, according to the National Institute of Health. Niacin can be found in eggs, lean meats and legumes. Riboflavin is another B vitamin required for healthy skin. Breads and cereals are often fortified with riboflavin, the institute says, but you can also get it from eggs, milk and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin A helps cells reproduce, which will aid in turning old, dry skin into new, supple skin. Eating vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables, such as cantaloupe, passion fruit, tomatoes, sweet potato, carrots and spinach, can help your skin retain moisture.
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Photos: 7 foods to fortify your body for winter
Tame dry hair: Your mother probably told you to eat your broccoli, but she may not have told you that it would be good for your looks. "The unique combination of emollient oils and fatty acids in broccoli can make hair stronger and more lustrous," said Dr. Charles Crutchfield, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Because of the lack of moisture in the air, hair can be brittle and easily damaged during winter. Any food with a good dose of omega-3 fatty acids will help soothe stressed strands. Look for fish, olive oil and nuts in your local grocery store.
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Photos: 7 foods to fortify your body for winter
Protect your nails: Has a walnut brownie caught your eye? There's a healthy component to that tempting treat. Walnuts contain biotin, a B vitamin that helps strengthen nails, according to Crutchfield. Strawberries are another good source of the important nutrient.Fingernails also contain the protein keratin, which helps protect your nails from environmental damage. Eat foods that are also high in protein like lean meats and low-fat dairy products to prevent weakness.
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Photos: 7 foods to fortify your body for winter
Bone up: Winter weather is extra dangerous for bones, according to the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society. Protect yourself from the inside by building strong bones with vitamin D.
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Photos: 7 foods to fortify your body for winter
Avoid the vampire look: You may blame pasty skin on the lack of sunshine this time of year, but your diet can have a lot to do with your face's rosy glow. People who aren't getting enough iron have lower red blood cell counts, which may make them appear pale, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Dark, leafy greens like spinach and mollusks like oysters, clams and scallops are iron-rich foods that will help bring back your pinch-able cheeks. Other vegetables can also help brighten a dull exterior. Carotenoids are natural pigments that produce the color in vegetables like carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and tomatoes, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center; they'll do the same for your skin.
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Photos: 7 foods to fortify your body for winter
Prepare for the future: There's nothing like a hot cup of cocoa after a day frolicking in (or shoveling) snow. And since researchers at Cornell University say the delicious drink contains a healthy dose of antioxidants, you shouldn't feel guilty about indulging. The antioxidants protect your body from free radicals that can damage cells, according to the National Institute of Health. Need more convincing? A study published in the August edition of the journal Hypertension showed that flavanols -- the main type of flavonoids, or antioxidants, found in cocoa and chocolate -- may even improve mild cognitive impairment in the elderly.
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"There are substances (in chicken soup) that could affect cells in the body, that could potentially have medicinal effects, but whether they are good or bad for you, we didn't test," said study author Dr. Stephen Rennard, Larson professor of medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Because the study was done in a laboratory and not in humans, Rennard cautions that it remains to be seen whether one would even absorb the substances that appeared to have beneficial effects in the lab.
The researchers did not actually isolate specific substances in soup that might be beneficial, "nor did we show what it would do in a living person, let alone a living person with a cold," he added.
"Chicken soup might do stuff ... but lots more research is required," Rennard said. "There is some possibility that there is a biochemical or medicinal basis to it ... but 'some,' 'suggests' and 'possible' are the key words."
The scent of soup
The aroma, spices and heat from chicken soup could help clear sinuses and improve symptoms of infection among people with respiratory problems, according to a separate study published in Chest.
"It was fun study we did about 40 years ago in Miami Beach, where there's a big Jewish population that believes in chicken soup," said the study's author, Dr. Kiumars Saketkhoo, a pulmonologist and intensivist for PIH Health. "They call it 'Jewish penicillin.' "
In the study, tiny particles meant to mimic a clump of bacteria or viruses were inserted in the noses of 15 healthy volunteers. Researchers measured the activity of the particles when they were inserted before and after cold water, hot water and chicken soup.
Hot chicken soup was more effective than hot water in stimulating something known as the mucociliary transport system, which helps move things along in the upper and lower respiratory tract, allowing the body to rid itself of particles and infection.
"The mucociliary transport system is important for getting rid of every respiratory infection, including colds," Saketkhoo said. "Whatever can make airways clear up faster may decrease risk of infection or clear an existing infection."
Sipping hot fluids helps to warm the bottom of your nasal pharynx, which can also help improve symptoms, Saketkhoo explained. This might explain why cold water was least effective in the study. But the study suggested that there's something in chicken soup that gives it an edge.
Saketkhoo cautioned that his study made no health claims or definitive conclusions about chicken soup, though his community seemed quick to embrace his findings. "I heard there was a product being marketed as 'Mount Sinai chicken soup' years ago," he said.
A bowl of nutrients
Studies aside, experts agree that chicken soup is worth trying you're when sick and can come in handy when eating a solid meal feels like too much.
"Chicken soup can offer a nutrient-dense food option when someone is struggling with a poor appetite," said Kristen Smith, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "It can also help increase hydration during a time when this could be a challenge."
Most chicken soups contain ingredients that provide lots of vitamins and minerals, according to Smith. For example, carrots provide your body with vitamin A, a nutrient that plays a role in the immune response, and chicken stock contains zinc, which may help fight a cold when consumed in high amounts. Chicken may help with the repair of body tissue and contains the amino acid cysteine, which some researchers are exploring for improving colds in supplement form, though Smith cautions that "most homemade and canned varieties would probably not provide adequate amounts to offer benefits."
There is also the notion that collagen from bone broth or stock can help with healing, "but the current scientific evidence to support this theory is lacking," Smith said.
Of course, the environment in which chicken soup is often eaten helps, too.
"My wife (who prepared the soup for the study) makes the point that when you are feeling ill, if someone is taking care of you, that tender loving care is not a placebo effect," Rennard said. "There are clearly beneficial effects of that. So if someone is sitting there and making you chicken soup, it may make you feel better ... but whether it has to do with contents of the chicken soup may be irrelevant."
Saketkhoo said, "does it cure the cold? Of course not. But does it help people with a cold feel better? I think it does ... and so that's why we give hot fluids, including chicken soup, to people with colds."