When Mom would get sick, Grandma would move in with her homemade chicken soup and cure the entire household from the common cold. Ironically, studies show that Gram was right. Chicken soup really can help you get over a cold!
Those miserable symptoms of the cold usually include coughing, sneezing, and a stuffy nose. Actual university studies have proven ingredients in chicken soup have anti-inflammatory properties that inhibit certain white blood cells from traveling into airways that contribute to the inflammation that causes cold symptoms.
Chicken soup contains compounds that also help inhibit mucus production. In addition to the soup's anti-inflammatory effects, the heat and steam may help open nasal passages especially if you add some garlic or cayenne pepper! Always drink the broth, researchers determined most of the help comes from the liquid.
Here's Grandma's recipe:
3-4 lb stewing chicken
1 onion
2 -3 qts water
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt, dash pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced carrots
2 cups noodles or 1/4 cup rice
Heat to boiling then simmer until meat is tender. Gram would simmer hers all day.
She also said you could always add lemon juice to "help cut a thick throat" or garlic for a stuffed up nose.
Grandam always thought ahead and would prepare batches of soup so she'd be ready at a moment's notice to aid her ailing family.
