The Health Benefits of Chicken Soup: Studies Say It’s a Proven Remedy

Nothing compares to chicken soup. Its combo of meat, vegetables, broth, and noodles are comforting and nourishing in equal measure. It’s the ideal food when you’re feeling less than ideal. I’ve often wondered, though, if chicken noodle soup’s curative properties are real. While it’s a beloved wintertime meal, in a 2022 survey, 35 percent of 588 respondents named “chicken noodle” their favorite cold weather soup, the question of its healing powers remains. Can it actually clear a stuffy nose and soothe a sore throat? In fact, it can. Keep reading to discover the proven health benefits of chicken soup.
The basics of chicken soup
Many of us know chicken soup as containing a mixture of tender poultry, vegetables, a starch like noodles or rice and broth. However, that’s not the only version that exists. From Italian penicillin (cooked pastina in chicken broth with Parmesan cheese) to Chicken Caldo Verde (a Portuguese green soup), there’s a take for every regional taste. “Almost every culture has its own variation on chicken soup, and rightly so—it’s one of the most gratifying dishes on the face of the Earth,” chef Yotam Ottolenghi writes in The Guardian. Along with its heartiness and flavor, it truly lives up to its “soup for the soul” reputation!
The health benefits of chicken soup
When it comes to the medicinal properties of chicken soup, research provides some insights. A study published in the CHEST Journal investigated chicken noodle soup’s widely reported anti-inflammatory effects, especially for upper respiratory tract infections. Researchers conducted several tests using a recipe called “Grandma’s Soup,” which contained ingredients like chicken, turnips, broth, and carrots. The tests were designed to evaluate the soup’s ability to inhibit neutrophil migration, the process by which white blood cells called neutrophils quickly move from bloodstream infection sites in tissue to other parts of the body. The authors noted that neutrophil products are strong stimulators of mucous release, which could explain why colds lead to cough and phlegm.