What Makes Chicken Noodle Soup The Perfect Sick Day Food

We've all lived it: You wake up one day and feel like you've been hit by a truck. Your throat is sore, your eyes are heavy, your head weighs more than a car, and your voice has gone nasal. You've just caught the common cold. No human being has ever escaped this affliction. It unites us all. And almost every human on Earth responds to it with the same craving: a hot bowl of chicken soup. Most countries have a version of this miracle meal. Latin America has different types of the ultimate fall-flavored seasonal treat, sancocho (made with corn and potatoes), South Korea has Samgyetang (made with ginseng), Greece has avgolemono (made with lemon), and the U.S. has chicken noodle soup.

There is simply something about this dish — in all its varieties — that is comforting when one is battling a cold or virus. If we were to believe everyone's anecdotal experiences as evidence, it is indisputable that nothing lifts your spirits when you're sick like having a loved one make you chicken soup. But it seems like the benefits are not just in our heads. 

One 2000 study claimed that the dish had mild anti-inflammatory properties, which alleviated upper respiratory tract infections. These findings have been disputed by many in the scientific community, mostly because they haven't been corroborated by other studies. That said, there are many other ways in which this soup might boost your health.

The ingredients in chicken noodle soup are a dream for those looking to strengthen their immune system. Chicken provides protein, noodles provides carbohydrates, vegetables provide vitamins, and broth has fats and minerals. The ingredients combine to make a nourishing meal that is easy to digest even when you don't have much of an appetite. 

Additionally, broth has electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, which help keep you hydrated. This is important because cold often cause fevers, which can be dangerous if they result in dehydration. In the end, the soup won't kill your cold, but it will help your body regain strength while it fights it off. Likewise, soups are perfect for cold weather months, when your immune system is weakened.

If you want to make your chicken soup even more nourishing, there are many other beneficial ingredients. Ginger, cayenne pepper, and ginseng help with inflammation and congestion, lemon juice brightens up chicken soup and boosts your immune system by adding more vitamin C, and turmeric is the spice that both you and your soup crave for its health and flavor benefits, respectively. These ingredients already show up in many chicken soup recipes from around the world, and they make your soup even tastier by adding different flavor profiles. 

Ask whoever is taking care of you to go the homemade route rather than using canned soups. This makes it easier to avoid excess sodium and harmful artificial ingredients. Of course, if that's not an option, even canned chicken noodle soup will remind you that there are better days ahead.