MICHAEL ARNOLD GLUECK -- Community commentary
After what the country, Newport-Mesa and Kathy Mader have been through
this last month with electionitis (migraine headache, incoherent
muttering to oneself, extreme dislike of lawyers), ElToroitis, and with
winter, long nights and the influenza season (with limited vaccine), what
our cities need now is a huge kettle of grandma’s chicken soup (“Sick?
Try these local soups and feel better,” Dec. 7).
How fortunate that just in time, medical researchers from Omaha, Neb.,
have finished the monumental task of reviewing 40 references on chicken
soup and doing some studies on their own.
They looked at reports published between 1963 and 1998 in both
newspapers (Jerusalem Post) and distinguished medical journals, reporting
their findings in an article titled “Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil
Chemotaxis In Vitro.” Translated, that means this concoction may help
cure your cold.
Chicken soup has been regarded as a remedy for centuries.
The Egyptian physician and philosopher Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides)
recommended chicken soup for respiratory tract symptoms in his 12th
century treatise, based on some earlier reports from Greece.
So widely recommended is chicken soup in the Jewish tradition that
some have jokingly referred to it as Jewish penicillin.
Colds are generally the result of mucosal infections of the upper
respiratory tract by a variety of viruses, including the rhinoviruses. It
is likely that many of the annoying symptoms related to colds are the
result of an inflammatory response to the viruses. Chicken soup may
combat colds in such ways as improving hydration and nutrition and
lessening the inflammation.
In the study, traditional chicken soup was prepared according to a
family recipe, referred to as “Grandma’s soup”: One 5- to 6-pound stewing
hen or baking chicken, one package of chicken wings, three large onions,
one large sweet potato, three parsnips, two turnips, 11 to 12 large
carrots, five to six celery stems, and one bunch of parsley.
Put the chicken in a large pot, cover it with cold water and bring the
water to a boil. Add the chicken wings, onions, sweet potato, parsnips,
turnips and carrots. Boil about 1 1/2 hours. Remove fat from the surface.
Add parsley and celery. Cook 45 minutes longer. Remove the chicken. Put
the vegetables in a food processor until they are chopped fine or pass
through a strainer. Salt and pepper to taste.
The study found that chicken soup significantly stopped the movement
of a type of inflammatory white blood cell and suggests that chicken soup
may contain a number of medically beneficial substances. A mild
anti-inflammatory effect is one mechanism by which the soup decreases
upper respiratory infections.
But the exact identity of the these beneficial ingredients remains
unknown. A number of fats and substances with antioxidant activity are
likely to be present. Extracts of each vegetable, as well as of the
chicken, all were able to inhibit the inflammatory response, suggesting
that many helpful substances may be present.
The soup used for these experiments does have several unusual
features.
It contains several vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, not found in
many chicken soup recipes. In many recipes, the vegetables are removed
from the clear broth before serving. This recipe calls for the vegetables
to be pureed and added to the soup.
The effects in humans of chicken soup undoubtedly include more than
the effects on white cells. The warm liquid, particularly when sipped,
can stimulate nasal clearance. The social setting in which chicken soup
is sipped may contribute to a strong placebo effect.
As an aside, Newport Beach residents Leslea and Dr. Ed Miller suggest
adding three chicken feet from the butcher to the pot while brewing.
Prepare matzo balls according to the method of Manischewitz, N.J.
To assist science, I plan to do my own human taste-testing during the
holiday season. You, too, need a break today from the pols, lawyers, flu
and colds. Try grandma’s chicken soup. If chicken soup is good for your
health, it is probably good for your soul. Kathy Mader is right; soup
does make you “feel better.”
* MICHAEL ARNOLD GLUECK is a Newport Beach physician.
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