Now that we’re all sniffling or suffering from the flu: ‘Eating chicken soup gives you extra vitamins’ | local

Before we get into the science, where did the idea that chicken soup could treat a cold or flu come from? “In the 12th century, the Jewish scientist and physician Maimonides described the beneficial effects of chicken soup on the human body,” says Science Editor Martin Peters.

“In his work Causes of accidents He praised chicken soup as a cure for everything that could be physically wrong. Based on this thought and action, today we sometimes refer to chicken soup as “Jewish penicillin.” However, Maimonides was inspired by the medicinal powers of chicken soup from ancient Chinese and Greek texts, because this warming dish originally comes from China. The name is also misleading, because the virus causes the common cold, and penicillin is an antibacterial substance.

Sure, chicken soup has been around as a medicine for centuries, but is it even effective? “We can say one thing for sure: A cup of chicken soup won’t get rid of your cold,” laughs Peters. “It can cause less serious symptoms. Although the scientific evidence for this is very limited. Scientific one Stady Since 2000, chicken soup has been shown to help reduce inflammation in the upper respiratory tract, which has many unpleasant symptoms.

It is believed that the effect of soup is not irrational in itself. “Because warm chicken soup, like other drinks, will ensure you stay well hydrated. Plus, you get extra vitamins, your nose can feel less stuffy, and your cilia will better protect your nose against viruses trying to get in. There’s also an emotional side: “It’s good to have someone to take care of you when you’re sick. Soup has this nourishing effect.” So it certainly can’t do any harm, but don’t expect miracles from it.”

• zaatar
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 user interface
• Laurier
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 leek
• 2 carrots
• 1 chicken soup
• 2 liters of water

1. Make a delicious broth: Place all the ingredients in a pan and season with salt and pepper. Boil everything for 1 to 1.5 hours on a slightly low heat. During cooking you should always remove fat and dirt from the broth. Remove the chicken and vegetables from the broth. You can make the soup clearer by beating and adding two egg whites.
2. Wet a kitchen towel and place it on a sieve. Pour the broth with the egg whites and you will be left with a clear broth. Adjust seasoning based on your preferred taste.
3. Use the chicken whites from the chicken soup and add them to the broth. Finely chop the leeks, celery and carrots and add. Finally, add some vermicelli and let everything simmer.