Home Dinner Ideas Science Says Chicken Soup Really Is the Best Medicine By Shahrzad WarkentinDecember 28, 2018 Search more like this comfort-foodcommon-coldmedical-centersore-throatnoodle-soupchickenchicken-soupcoldsoupnasal-congestionhydrationflu-seasonremedystimulate Read next Dinner Ideas The Best Organic Clothes for Babies & Toddlers Dinner Ideas 45 Pumpkin Carving Designs That’ll Wow the Neighborhood Dinner Ideas Target’s Best Holiday Deals Start Sooner Than You Think Dinner Ideas This Larger Than Life Mister Rogers Monument is Exactly What the World Needs Dinner Ideas Want a Free Donut on Halloween? Here’s How to Get One from Krispy Kreme It turns out mom was right: chicken soup really is the best dish for a sick day. One dietician explains how chicken soup can help fight a cold. While there is no actual cure for the common cold, there’s plenty you can do to ease your symptoms. Before you reach for that cold medicine, however, the best remedy might simply be soup—specifically, chicken noodle soup. Photo: schlauschnacker via Pixabay “Studies have shown that a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup may help clear nasal congestion and ease cold symptoms,” said Sandy Allonen, a clinical dietitian at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “It’s all about the ingredients.” Besides the obvious nutritional benefits of carrots, celery and even onions and chicken, chicken noodle soup has some other healthy tricks up its sleeve. As Allonen explains, the warm broth can sooth a sore throat and provide hydration, the steam can help clear your nose, the salt can stimulate your tastebuds (encouraging you to eat more even when food tastes bland) and even the tryptophan in the chicken can help. “Chicken is also high in tryptophan, which helps your body produce serotonin that can enhance your mood and give you the feeling of ‘comfort’ that helps make chicken noodle soup a true comfort food,” Allonen said. With flu season in full swing, it’s time to put the soup on. —Shahrzad Warkentin RELATED STORIES: 15 of the BEST Vitamin C Recipes to Beat the Common Cold Mom-Tested Home Remedies Because It’s Cold & Flu Season Flu Season Has Arrived. Here’s What Parents Need to Know (So Far) Can Putting Potatoes In Your Socks REALLY Cure a Cold? This Mom Says So
