Nobody likes coming down with the common cold or the flu, but the frequency with which new cases appear during this time of year means a considerable number of people must contend with these commonplace diseases. Among comfort foods and medicines, one will typically reach for a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup to ease their aches and woes as people have been using this culinary delicacy to treat illnesses “since at least the 12th century,” according to the National Library of Medicine. But what components of this remarkable stew make our illnesses easier to contend with? Is there a logical reason behind why this soup helps us feel better, or has chicken noodle soup only become associated with the treatment of illnesses via a metaphorical game of telephone?
Soups themselves have been found to help ease illnesses due to their fundamental characteristics. The Order of Saint Francis Healthcare website mentions a few foods that are preferable to consume when bedridden with sickness, but most of them involve liquids to an extent. Whether it comes in the form of a drink or a soup, keeping yourself hydrated during a bout with the flu or a cold is tantamount to keeping one’s body functioning properly as the human body naturally responds to a disease by essentially trying to burn it away with a fever. This also affects the cells in one’s body since they start to become dehydrated, hence why remaining hydrated while sick is so crucial.
Additionally, chicken noodle soup becomes more of an illness-easing powerhouse thanks to its specific ingredients. An article from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center breaks down the benefits one can receive from a bowl of chicken noodle soup while contending with an illness, as all the solid components—like the chicken, noodles and vegetables—provide a veritable buffet of nutrients for one’s body, like vitamin C, carbohydrates and vitamin B. Chicken noodle soup ends up providing a considerable amount of the materials one’s body needs keep functioning.
The rich and salty broth can also help one stay healthy during an illness since it provides another critical nutrient for the body. According to the National Library of Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic, electrolytes help keep the human body functioning properly, like how sodium—one of the essential components of ordinary table salt—fuels essential intercellular systems like active transport. However, one can lose electrolytes when undergoing something that causes the generation of excess sweat, such as “fever, diarrhea or vomiting,” all symptoms most people have put up with when they contend with illnesses at some point in their lives.
Additionally, one should not underestimate the power that public opinion has on one’s response to something. Even if one is unaware of the benefits mentioned above regarding chicken noodle soup, most people have presumably had a warm bowl of the commonplace stew during an illness at some point in their lives because of the preconceived notion that it helps one contend with said illnesses. This then brings forth the placebo effect—the phenomenon wherein believing that something can help with an issue, like nausea, causes the brain to work in conjunction with the body to reduce that symptom, according to the Harvard Medical School—and allows chicken noodle soup to provide psychological benefits. However, regardless of whether one knows of the health benefits of this well-known dish, everyone can agree on what the best benefit of this dish is: the satisfaction one can receive after eating a bowl of this tasty delicacy!
