Chicken Soup for fighting colds.

[NoMercy]

Is there really an enzyme in Chicken soup which helps to fight the common cold?

I made a chicken and sweetcorn soup 2 days ago when I started to feel rough and it has sped up the recovery no end!

Or am I just imagining it?

[B00]

No, I believe you really did eat it.

[LoftyLottie]

I am suffering too NoMercy. I made a huge cauldron of chicken soup with loads of veg and have just consumed a couple of bowl fulls. It better work, I feel dreadful!!

[supersuezy24]

Really??My throats starting to hurt and I'm on a bit of a soup making buzz at the mo so might try that if it worked for you?

[NazNomad]

Although a 12th century physician named Moses Maimonides first prescribed chicken soup as a cold and asthma remedy, its therapeutic properties have been studied by a host of medical experts in recent decades. Findings vary.

Some say the steam is the real benefit. Sipping the hot soup and breathing in the steam helps clear up congestion.

[NoMercy]

Interesting reply, Naz. There was an article a while back that said a specific enzyme in Chicken soup had been identied and verified for its Cold-blasting properties. Something to do with boiling the bones and making a proper stock as a basis for such a soup.

I added some thai green curry paste to my chicken and sweetcorn soup and it was absolutely lush !

[LoftyLottie]

I did that NoMercy. Boiled up all the bones with loads of veg and made a proper stock . I should be better tomorrow then :o)

[NazNomad]

Ah, here we go ...

Chicken contains an amino acid called cysteine that is released when you make the soup. This amino acid thins mucus in the lungs, aiding in the healing process.

[LoftyLottie]

Wow, I really will be better. There is more left in my witches cauldron for another couple of days!

[NoMercy]

Well the cold started in the throat and has now made its way to the chest. This has been a 3 day process as opposed to the 5/6 day process the last time I had a cold - just a few short weeks ago.

[society]

Chicken soup fighting the cold? Nah... I believe it's an old wife's tale.
It just comfort food, nice warm liquid helping the body stay warm.

[LoftyLottie]

Oh dear! I had a cold a couple of weeks ago too, but this one is much worse. Throat feels absolutely dreadful too. Hope it won't go chestwards!!

[NazNomad]

A cold is viral, not caused by being cold, or cured by being warm.

[NoMercy]

Precisely, Naz. It frustrates me when people say that caught a cold by going out with wet hair or no coat. They might have caught a chill, but they didn't catch a cold !!

[LoftyLottie]

Onetoo many:

I make chicken soup by first boiling up the carcass of a chicken with some onions, a few root veg and any leftover veg I have and some herbs. I usually leave it to simmer away for several hours. Then I put it through a sieve. I then fry up loads of different sorts of veg in a little oil stirring all the time to sweat the veg, add the stock I have made, season as required, put in some chopped up potatoes to thicken it and then cook it for an hour or so. I also put in tomato puree and worcester sauce to improve the flavour. We like lumpy soup so I just blitz it for a short with a blender, but you can make it as lumpy or smooth as you like.

It always tastes different, depending on what veg I put in. Dead easy!! You can adapt it to suit yourself.

[juandelacruz]

If you get cold you're resistance might be lowered and you could be more likely to get the virus. Not so long ago there was some research done in the USA on chicken soup, probably based on the old Jewish-American joke about mothers always making chicken soup for illness or emergency. Like the English "nice cup of tea". I believe there were positive findings but you'd have to google for them. I would never mock grandmother's knowledge - far too much has already been lost. They laughed at the old fellows who hung up apples to get mouldy and used them to cure coughs and fevers. Then they found penicillin . . .

[whiskeryron]

The only thing that bugs me is what to give a chicken when they are poorly.

[RATTER15]

Well it appears that you are more likely to catch a cold by being out in the cold or by getting wet, apparently being cold and wet lowers your immunity to colds so your more likely to catch a cold.

It makes some sense but I'm not totally convinced.

[Dagman]

I've heard that about chicken soup being good for your cold. Did anyone see Mythbusters where they tested how easy it is to spread the cold virus, it was astounding! Basically one guy set up a mock liquid at his nose, the liquid was visible in ultraviolet light, he had guests around a table and went on to cater them. They were covered with the stuff! Only one girl was really careful and wiped cutlery, didn't touch anyone and distanced herself all the time. She got it right. but the rest,,,Strewth!

[askyourgran]

Dagman that sounded awful. I can remember a tv programme about a test being made with raw meat and what happens if you don't wash your hands or the kitchen surfaces. It showed up under ultra violet light all over the kitchen tops and fridge/freezer etc.