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.