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Some people consume this hot, hearty dish because it is a comfort food, generally nutritious, and easy to keep down when you're not feeling well. As Campbell's loves to remind us, "soup is good food." Others tout the mysterious healing powers of chicken soup; in our search, we often saw it referred to as "Jewish penicillin." But is it really an effective cure for the common cold? We set out to discover the truth behind the can. The familiar foodstuff generates a great deal of controversy in scientific circles, as evidenced by the widely varying opinions and conflicting "evidence" our search turned up. Dr Stephen Rennard, a specialist in pulmonary medicine, put his wife's grandmother's recipe to the test. He concluded that chicken soup inhibits inflammation of the cells in the nasal passage, reducing the symptoms of a cold. Yet, in the same article another doctor points out that any hot soup promotes mucus secretions that "soothe sore throats and coughs, and trap bacteria." Many sites, such as Medlineplus and drkoop.com, repeat the statement: "Symptoms of colds can be aided by
chicken soup because it has a mild medicinal effect. Chicken soup contains an amino acid that is similar to a drug used to treat some respiratory infections." Disappointingly, these sites fail to name the amino acid in question. Still other sites claim that although people have been swearing by it for ages, "there's no real proof that chicken soup can cure a cold." It appears that the jury is still out. What seems probable, however, is that while chicken soup doesn't cure a cold, it may alleviate some of the annoying symptoms that accompany a bug. At worst, the soup provides a hot, comforting meal and rehydration. So slurp up when you're feeling a little under the weather.
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