Is Chicken Soup Really Good for the Common Cold? (2024)

FAQs

Is Chicken Soup Really Good for the Common Cold? ›

Eating chicken soup while you have a cold will not do you any harm, but it will not cure your cold. Drinking warm liquids, such as soup, may give you relief from your symptoms for a short time. The steam from chicken soup may open up congested noses and throats.

Compared with hot water alone, studies show chicken soup is more effective at loosening mucus. The herbs and spices sometimes used in chicken soup, such as pepper and garlic, also loosen mucus. The broth, which contains water and electrolytes, helps with rehydration.

A couple of small human studies have also suggested that sipping soup or a hot drink, even just hot water, can help loosen nasal mucus and make breathing feel easier. And of course, any liquid provides fluids, and “hydration makes it easier to clear secretions,” Dr. Rennard said.

Chicken and vegetable broths and soups are loaded with nutrients and anti-inflammatory ingredients that can soothe and heal a sore throat. Broths and soups boost your immune system and go down easily when your throat feels raw and scratchy.

To enhance their flavors and, of course, help warm us up from the inside out. All that being said, you can have your pick of any soup to snack on straight from the can, and really any other canned good in your pantry.

Chicken contains an amino acid cysteine which has been shown to reduce and break up mucous congestion in the lungs. Garlic- Garlic is a must in a chicken soup as nature's best natural antibiotic and antibacterial agent to help your body fight infection and get better quickly.

You can help get rid of a cold and feel better faster by getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated, and eating nutritious foods. Taking zinc or vitamin C supplements at the first sign of a cold may help lessen the severity of cold symptoms or shorten the duration of a cold.

The bottom line. Think of chicken soup as supportive care—meaning it's one thing you do to make you feel a bit better while your body fights the virus—not a cure for it. As the CHEST study notes, potential antiviral benefits vary widely between brands, says Parikh.

Instead, try oatmeal, grits, Jell-O, yogurt, scrambled eggs, shakes and smoothies. Warm liquids may hurt the throat less than cold beverages, so I recommend trying soups, broth or warm water with lemons.

Why does chicken soup make you feel better? ›

Chicken is especially rich in a compound called carnosine, and it's this that studies suggest helps reduce that stuffy, congested feeling in your nose and throat. It's thought that carnosine minimises inflammation in the upper respiratory tract by stopping the migration of white blood cells.

The ingredients that go into making chicken stew work effectively to provide relief when you have a cough and cold. Vegetables, chicken broth, salt, pepper, onion and garlic are the basic ingredients that go into making chicken stew.

Heinz Cream Of Chicken Soup 400 g provides you with an easy way to make a warm and soothing broth of chicken soup and it can be prepared in a matter of minutes, thereby fitting you perfectly if you have a busy lifestyle. It is a great source of hydration while you are sick, especially if you have a sore throat.

Chicken soup actually can help treat your cold symptoms, especially if you're sipping a low-sodium, veggie-packed recipe. In fact, it's been used as a remedy as early as the 12th century. Here are more home remedies to help you sleep through a cold.

Chicken and wild rice may be the best soup for a cold as each ingredient provides a number of health benefits. Chicken and rice are a great source of protein, onions are known to have antiviral properties, carrots support antibody production, and research has shown that garlic may reduce the severity of cold symptoms.

If that is the question, then the answer is yes, because it is already cooked. Most canned soup can be consumed right from the can. The only health concern is that most canned soups have very large amounts of salt.

One notable study showed that chicken soup diminishes the presence of white blood cells associated with inflammation in upper respiratory conditions that often plague cold sufferers, suggesting that it encourages a more effective immune response and helps symptoms clear up quicker.

If you're under the weather because of a Cold, Flu, or mild COVID-19, eating nutritious foods will help you feel better and recover faster. Chicken soup is one of the food options you should choose as it could soothe common symptoms of these diseases, such as fever, sore throat, and loss of appetite.