Is it true that chicken broth is an effective remedy for combating cold symptoms?

Drinking chicken broth is one of the most common folk remedies with which people with ARVI try to alleviate their condition. We figured out whether this method has scientifically proven effectiveness.

The fact that chicken broth helps in treating colds is written not only manufacturers poultry and culinary sites, but also Russian federal media, calling it is one of the best “medicines” for ARVI, as well as Russian-speaking publications And news agencies in other countries. Recipes for special broth for colds can be found at sports websites and blogs. At the same time, the authors of other publications claim that chicken broth as a folk remedy for combating ARVI useless or even dangerous.

Science so far unknown There is no proven effective way to treat the common cold. Popular antiviral drugs sold in pharmacies are either homeopathic preparations (essentially “dummies” that do not contain an active substance), or didn't show results in randomized clinical trials. For example, in one such research The homeopathic Ergoferon was compared with the antiviral Kagocel. It is significant that Kagocel was inferior in effectiveness to a drug that actually did not contain any active ingredient. No proven effectiveness of homeopathic remedies “Anaferon”, “Aflubin” and “Oscillococcinum”, popular for fighting colds, as well as antiviral drugs “Arbidol”, “Imudon”, “Ingaverin”, “Polyoxidonium”, “Poludana”, etc. Doctors are so skeptical about the idea of ​​treating colds with drugs that even among them exists joke: “Without treatment, a cold will last a week, but with treatment it will go away in seven days.” The only thing that modern science can offer those with a cold is various funds to relieve symptoms. Thus, nasal congestion can be relieved with antihistamines or vasoconstrictor drops (they should not be used for more than a few days, otherwise their effectiveness may decline and there will be a need to constantly increase the dose), discomfort in the throat can be alleviated by lozenges with painkillers, pain in muscles and joints can be relieved by analgesics, and, if necessary, antipyretics can be used to reduce the temperature.

Chicken broth believed healing even in Antiquity. In 60, the Roman army doctor Pedanius Dioscorides noted its benefits for colds, and Aretaeus of Cappadocia (1st–2nd centuries) added that boiled chicken can help with respiratory diseases. Later, in the 12th century, theologian and physician Moses Maimonides wrote about the benefits of chicken broth for a number of diseases: colds, asthma, hemiplegia, asthenia in patients and convalescents.

Proponents of the opinion that chicken broth helps fight ARVI note several of its characteristics. Firstly, temperature - the broth is usually served hot. Eating both warm and hot meals Maybe relieve cold symptoms by promoting better drainage of nasal mucus and, consequently, restoration of nasal breathing. Back in 1978, doctors from the department of pulmonary diseases at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami (USA) held experiment. They asked 15 healthy volunteers to sip or drink chicken soup, hot and cold water through sips or straws, and recorded the rate of nasal mucus discharge in each case. Drinking sips of hot water increased this figure from 6.2 mm per minute before the start of the experiment to 8.4 mm after 5 minutes. after. Chicken broth drunk through a straw accelerated the process to only 7.8 mm per minute, but drunk in sips - up to 9.2 mm. Cold water (the subjects drank it only in sips) had the opposite effect - the rate of mucus separation decreased to 4.5 mm per minute. Scientists have suggested that chicken broth either contains certain substances that stimulate this process, or that aromatic molecules have an effect. However, the effect of all three liquids that the experiment participants drank did not last long - after half an hour, the studied parameter returned to its original value. However, even such a short acceleration of the separation of nasal mucus can alleviate the condition of the sick person - during this time, his nasal breathing may normalize, and nasal congestion will become less pronounced.

Secondly, chicken broth, like other meat products and dishes, has an umami taste, which, like showed 2014 study, stimulates appetite. In turn, loss of appetite is a common problem that accompanies colds. At the same time, consuming foods with umami taste improves absorption of nutrients. Immediately after this taste is recognized by taste buds, the brain receives a special signal from them and “transmits information” to the digestive tract, which thanks to this prepares in advance for the absorption of protein. Finally, when you have a cold, food often seems tasteless, and umami promotes the production of saliva, which plays an important role in the sense of taste. Of course, this property of chicken broth in itself will not affect the severity or duration of ARVI, but a regular supply of nutrients will give the body the necessary strength to effectively fight the disease. Although viruses that cause colds usually do not directly affect the digestive tract, influenza A and B viruses in children can accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and chicken broth, thanks to umami, can alleviate the condition of such patients. Although other meat soups have an umami taste, chicken compared to pork and beef contains more proteins with essential amino acids and is low in fat and cholesterol.

Finally, individual studies suggest that chicken soup may help reduce inflammatory activity. This one is natural reaction the body to injury or illness is accompanied by the delivery of leukocytes and blood plasma proteins to the site of infection or to the site of tissue damage. The activity of leukocytes in the upper respiratory tract is what leads to unpleasant cold symptoms: nasal congestion, sneezing and coughing. In 2000, scientists from the Nebraska Medical Center (USA) demonstratedthat in vitro (in a test tube) chicken broth inhibits the migration of neutrophils, the predominant type of white blood cells in the circulating blood. To prepare the broth, the scientists took a chicken carcass and an additional package of wings, onions, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery, parsley, salt and pepper. The researchers noted that both chicken meat itself and the vegetables included in the recipe are capable of suppressing the migration of neutrophils, but when combined, the effect of these products is enhanced. In 2022, scientists from Huazhong Agricultural University (China) studied immunomodulatory activity of broths prepared from broilers or free-range chickens. For the experiments, the researchers took immunosuppressed mice that received either one of the broths or a saline solution. A blood test of experimental animals showed that all chicken broths had an immunomodulatory effect.

Thus, existing scientific evidence confirms that chicken broth speeds up the secretion of nasal mucus more effectively than hot water, increases appetite, promotes digestion and is easily digestible. Some experiments show that this dish has anti-inflammatory properties and may therefore also relieve cold symptoms. At the same time, additional research is required to make a final conclusion regarding the benefits of chicken broth for ARVI (in particular, to suppress inflammation).

Cover image: Image by Christo Anestev from Pixabay

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