Why should I eat chicken soup when I'm sick?

People often say the phrase "Chicken soup for the soul", why?

Chicken noodle soup is considered to be a treat for many cultures, including the Jewish-American and Chinese communities, where traditional medicine is quite popular. Although researchers have not yet been able to determine the positive effects of chicken soup, some studies have confirmed that it helps prevent nasal congestion .

Traditional Chinese chicken soup

Archaeological evidence shows that humans start using poultry to make soup as soon as they discover a way to boil water. The evidence recorded that chicken soup is used as a healing dish appeared since ancient China. In the second century BC, Chinese medical texts claimed that chicken soup is a "positive gas dish" - a hot dish - plus various herbal therapies added to increase the likelihood. Treatment of various diseases.

In China, chicken soup is used by pregnant women and elderly people. These objects all need the energy of a positive gas dish, which will provide more energy around the body and energize. One of the earliest recipes for Chinese noodles, " lamian ", is around the second century. In Chinese culture, noodles represent a long life. Traditionally, noodles are combined with chicken soup to emphasize the prosperity of the family. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), chicken and noodle shops became widely available. The secret to making chicken noodles has also spread to other Asian countries.

Jewish culture

Jewish folklore of chicken soup is closely tied to European medical history. Greek physicians in the 2nd century think that chicken soup is a cure for migraine, leprosy, constipation and fever .

By the end of the Middle Ages, Jewish philosophers and physician Moses Maimonides (1135-1204), recommended chicken soup to the weak and the patients. But chicken soup is still an unpopular dish until the 15th century. After that time, there was an explosion of chicken farming to make up for the lack of other meat and people started eating chicken soup. regularly.
Similar to the Chinese tradition, the Jews have "caldo de gayina Vieja" - the old chicken broth - for women who have given birth and those who are sick. They also used chicken soup with rice called "soupa de Kippur". After the 15th century, chicken soup slowly became a traditional dish in Jewish culture influenced by Eastern European culture. After World War II, the Jews popularized it to the United States, leading to the nickname for it in the United States as "Jewish penicillin".

Scientific evidence

Despite the belief that chicken soup has medicinal properties, researchers were unable to determine exactly that.

Marvin Sackner in 1978 conducted a study that showed that using chicken soup reduces nasal congestion compared to drinking hot or cold water. In 1980, Mr. Irwin Ziment showed that chicken broth helps dissolve mucus in the lungs and the effect will increase when the broth is spiced. His research was continued by Stephen Rennard in 2000, who argued that chicken soup supports the need to fight cold viruses.

In general, the amount of calcium in the soup will increase if the cooking time lasts and, depending on the ingredients, it may also have a mild anti-inflammatory effect. Chicken soup is also thought to have a soothing effect, making some people think it could be a cure for many diseases.