It reduces the duration of symptoms.
Temperatures are cooler in mid-October. It’s ideal for preparing a good soup, right? Especially with viruses starting to circulate… In a recent study, researchers confirm that “our grandmothers were right” : soup can reduce the duration of a cold, bronchitis or even the flu. “The soup has long been used as a home remedy for respiratory diseases” they recall in the journal Nutrients. Considered a “food-medicine”, it hydrates, nourishes and could calm inflammation, thus helping the body to better defend itself. But scientific evidence validating these claims remains limited. Hence the work carried out by the researchers.
They first reviewed more than 10,000 scientific publications to identify all studies testing the soup’s effect on respiratory infections. After several selection stages, only four clinical studies conducted in North America and Asia, totaling 342 participants (children, adults and elderly people), met their criteria. These trials compared soups to other drinks (water, tea, etc.) or to no treatment. The researchers then analyzed the subjects’ well-being, severity of symptoms, duration of illness, and immune and inflammatory markers (such as CRP or interleukin-6).
At the end of their analysis, they confirm that the soup can help to better tolerate a cold or a mild flu, but without replacing traditional treatments. Those who drank the soup had slightly less intense symptoms and healed more quickly. The duration of illness was shortened by approximately 1 to 2.5 days. These benefits would be linked to three things: the heat of the soup which decongests, the water which rehydrates and the nutrients (proteins, antioxidants, minerals) which support immunity and calm inflammation. One soup in particular stands out…
According to the authors, the soup that stands out as the most beneficial is chicken soup with vegetables. It is the one that best combines: repairing proteins, fibers and plant antioxidants. Even more so, if it is enhanced with garlic or ginger, known for their respiratory effects. The ideal is therefore to prepare a hot, nourishing and balanced soup rather than a simple clear broth or a very salty industrial soup, to better recover in the event of a respiratory infection. To your kitchens!
