本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Dr Stephen Rennard is a researcher at the University of Nebraska in the US where he studies the defence mechanisms of the lung. One day, while enjoying his wife's homemade chicken soup, he wondered if something in the soup might have an anti-inflammatory effect on the respiratory viral infections responsible for colds and the flu...

Ben Maimon was a 12th century Jewish philosopher and physician who recommend this remedy for influenza and colds: chicken soup. As the story goes, Moshe drew on classical Greek medicine to support his recommendation, but I bet he actually picked it from his mum.

I was reminded of Moshe's soup flu remedy when I came across an Associated Press item about a flu vaccine clinic offered in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Because of the nationwide vaccine shortage in the US, the clinic received no supply of the vaccine at all. So when people came by to get a flu shot, they were given a can of chicken soup and a box of tissues instead.

When Kris Ehresmann, the head of Minnesota's immunisation programme, heard about the soup flu remedy giveaway, with some amusement she told the AP that it was, 'better than nothing.'

Better than nothing, indeed. In fact, according to one study, chicken soup is full of good nutrition and even has natural anti-inflammatory properties. That's much more than I can say for the flu vaccine.

Grandma's penicillin

Dr Stephen Rennard is a researcher at the University of Nebraska in the US where he studies the defence mechanisms of the lung. One day, while enjoying his wife's homemade chicken soup, he wondered if something in the soup might have an anti-inflammatory effect on the respiratory viral infections responsible for colds and the flu.

From a recipe called 'Grandma's Soup,' Dr. Rennard had his wife prepare several batches for laboratory tests to examine the soup's effect on neutrophils; white blood cells that stimulate mucous release. As reported in a 2000 issue of the medical journal Chest, Dr. Rennard and his team found that the ingredients of the soup clearly inhibited the movement of neutrophils.

In other words, chicken soup may actually trigger a cold and flu-fighting reaction in the body. But it doesn't end with neutrophils inhibition.

Many chicken soup recipes call for exactly what a sick person needs: ingredients that are nutrient-rich, such as onions, carrots, celery, parsley, sweet potatoes, parsnips and turnips (all of which were included in Grandma's Soup).

In an interview with Reuters, Dr. Rennard also acknowledged that the steam from the warm soup may help soothe inflamed sinuses. And when someone lovingly prepares the soup for you - a doting Grandma, for instance - the care itself may provide a therapeutic psychological boost that promotes healing.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

What is it with eating chicken soup when we’re sick? Ok, so it is delicious. It’s a comfort food . Sipping the hot liquid unclogs the nose, much like a spicy food or hot pepper spray does. It makes you feel better. But does chicken soup itself help treat the colds or flu? Surprisingly, scientists say it does! Research published in the journal Chest (2000) proved in the laboratory that chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties that help clear the upper respiratory tract, but it’s unclear exactly which of the ingredients are directly responsible. It seems cooking them up together combined to “achieve their beneficial effects”. The researchers used a homemade recipe they dubbed “Grandma’s soup”. They even published the recipe as part of the “Methods” section (First time I’ve ever seen this in a peer-reviewed journal!). Here’s the recipe for our enjoyment - Traditional chicken soup was prepared according to a family recipe, which will be referred to as “Grandma’s soup” (C. Fleischer; personal communication; 1970). This recipe is as follows: • 1 5- to 6-lb stewing hen or baking chicken; • 1 package of chicken wings; • 3 large onions; • 1 large sweet potato; • 3 parsnips; • 2 turnips; • 11 to 12 large carrots; • 5 to 6 celery stems; • 1 bunch of parsley; and • salt and pepper to taste. Clean the chicken, put it in a large pot, and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Add the chicken wings, onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips, and carrots. Boil about 1.5 h. Remove fat from the surface as it accumulates. Add the parsley and celery. Cook the mixture about 45 min longer. Remove the chicken. The chicken is not used further for the soup. (The meat makes excellent chicken parmesan.) Put the vegetables in a food processor until they are chopped fine or pass through a strainer. Both were performed in the present study. Salt and pepper to taste. (Note: this soup freezes well.) Matzoh balls were prepared according to the recipe on the back of the box of matzoh meal. And a note in the Discussion section: The chicken soup recipe used for the majority of these experiments is very highly regarded locally.29 It does have several unusual features, however. First, it contains several vegetables, eg, sweet potato, not found in many chicken soup recipes; in addition, in many recipes, the vegetables are removed from the clear broth prior to serving. After removal, Grandma’s soup calls for the vegetables to be pureed and added to the soup. (We understand that this was a modification introduced by Grandma during the Great Depression to ensure that everyone ate the available vegetables.) The soup, as a result, contains a thick suspension of particulates. [published paper in Chest: Rennard, BO. 2000.118:1150-1157]

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛By Chet Day

An excerpt from
How to Beat Colds and Flu with 37 Natural Remedies and Three Healing Meditations

When I was growing up in the '50s, my grandmother always said chicken soup was good for what ails you.

Interestingly enough, scientific evidence today supports what dear old granny used to say.

Several medical experts have proven that old-fashioned chicken has healing properties.

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.

Irwin Ziment, M.D., pulmonary specialist and professor at the UCLA School for Medicine, says chicken soup contains drug-like agents similar to those in modern cold medicines. For example, an amino acid released from chicken during cooking chemically resembles the drug acetylcysteine, prescribed for bronchitis and other respiratory problems.

Spices that are often added to chicken soup, such as garlic and pepper (all ancient treatments for respiratory diseases), work the same way as modern cough medicines, thinning mucus and making breathing easier.

Another theory, put forth by Stephen Rennard, M.D., chief of pulmonary medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, is that chicken soup acts as an anti-inflammatory. The soup, he says, keeps a check on inflammatory white blood cells (neutrophils). Cold symptoms, such as coughs and congestion, are often caused by inflammation produced when neutrophils migrate to the bronchial tubes and accumulate there.

In his lab, Rennard tested chicken soup made from the recipe of his wife's Lithuanian grandmother. He demonstrated that neutrophils showed less tendency to congregate - but were no less able to fight germs - after he added samples of the soup to the neutrophils. Diluted 200 times, the soup still showed that effect.

Rennard based his chicken soup research on a family recipe, which he referred to in his article as Grandma's Soup.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net