| You've likely heard it proclaimed throughout | | | | away on one of these three chicken soup |
| your entire life: chicken soup is good | | | | recipes (maybe you can coax someone else into |
| medicine. | | | | making one of them for you!) /b> |
| | | | Dr. Rennard's Chicken Soup |
| Whether it was your mother, grandmother, or a | | | | |
| Campbell's soup commercial handing out the | | | | 1 large roasting chicken or baking hen (6 to |
| advice, a steaming bowl of chicken soup has | | | | 7 pounds) |
| been touted as the cure for just about every | | | | |
| ailment, from the common cold to a nasty | | | | 1 package chicken wings or drumsticks (10 to |
| scrape on the knee. | | | | 12 pieces) |
| | | | |
| But is chicken soup, in and of itself, really | | | | 10 medium carrots, peeled |
| a "medicine" of sorts? Does it actually | | | | |
| possess healing capabilities, or is its | | | | 3 large onions, peeled and quartered |
| magic all in our heads? | | | | |
| | | | 3 parsnips, peeled |
| Back in the Day | | | | |
| | | | 1 large sweet potato, peeled |
| Around the 12th century trusted healers | | | | |
| started to prescribe "the broth of fowl" for | | | | 2 turnips, peeled |
| their ill patients. It was during that time | | | | |
| that Egyptian Jewish physician and | | | | 6 stalks celery |
| philosopher, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimonides, | | | | |
| started to write extensively about the | | | | 1 bunch parsleysalt and pepper to taste |
| benefits of chicken soup. | | | | |
| | | | 1. |
| The ancient healer wrote, "The meat taken | | | | |
| should be that of hens or roosters and their | | | | Wash the whole chicken and chicken parts. |
| broth should also be taken because this sort | | | | Place in 8-quart soup pot, fill |
| of fowl has virtue in rectifying corrupted | | | | three-quarters full with water and bring to |
| humours." | | | | a boil. Add carrots, onion, parsnips, sweet |
| | | | potato and turnips. |
| Maimonides used his 'fowl brew' to treat such | | | | |
| things like hemorrhoids, constipation, and | | | | 2. |
| even leprosy. He strongly believed and | | | | |
| especially praised the brew's healing power | | | | Simmer covered for 1-1/2 hours. Add celery |
| for respiratory illnesses like the common | | | | and parsley and cook for another 45 minutes. |
| cold. | | | | Spoon out the chicken and bones. |
| | | | |
| Since then, many researchers and scientists | | | | 3. |
| have pondered the question of whether or not | | | | |
| chicken soup has any real health benefits to | | | | Remove the vegetables along with a small |
| patients suffering from a cold. Some have | | | | amount of the broth; puree, then stir back |
| even done experiments to see if there is | | | | into the soup. Salt and pepper to taste. |
| such proof. | | | | |
| | | | Stephen Rennard, M.D., is chief of pulmonary |
| Is the Proof in the Soup? | | | | medicine at the University of Nebraska |
| | | | Medical Center in Omaha. The recipe actually |
| Dr. Stephen Rennard, MD at the University of | | | | is a time-tested family recipe, handed down |
| Nebraska Medical Center, thought his | | | | by his wife's grandmother. /b> |
| family's chicken soup really did work, but | | | | b> |
| as a scientist, he wanted proof. | | | | |
| | | | This is a mild but spicy chicken soup, |
| "One day we were discussing chicken soup," | | | | flavored with the very unique flavor of |
| Rennard explains. "My wife says that grandma | | | | galangal ("kha" in Thai) which creates a |
| says this is good for colds, and I said | | | | heavenly taste when combined with hot chile |
| maybe it has some anti-inflammatory action." | | | | peppers, coconut milk, lime leaves and |
| | | | lemongrass. |
| Rennard tested his theory and added his | | | | |
| wife's home made chicken soup to white blood | | | | Ingredients |
| cells, called neutrophils. To his surprise, | | | | |
| the soup did slow the neutrophils. In fact, | | | | 16 fluid ounces organic chicken soup broth |
| he claims that chemicals in the broth-based | | | | |
| elixir clears a stuffy nose by inhibiting | | | | 4-5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded |
| inflammation of the cells in the nasal | | | | |
| passages. | | | | 4 or 5 2 inch pieces fresh lemongrass, |
| | | | bruised to release flavor |
| Dr. Rennard did admit that there needed to be | | | | |
| more studies conducted, but believes his | | | | 1 inch cube (or a bit more) galangal sliced |
| findings are one more piece to complete the | | | | thinly |
| puzzle. | | | | |
| | | | 4 tablespoons fish sauce |
| Since Dr. Rennard's findings in the early | | | | |
| 1990's, several studies have since agreed | | | | 2 tablespoons lime juice |
| with his results, and show chicken soup as a | | | | |
| "relief" for the common cold, not a "cure." | | | | 4 oz organic chicken breast cut into smallish |
| All research agrees that the soup helps break | | | | bite sized pieces |
| up congestion and eases the flow of nasal | | | | |
| secretions. In addition, many say it also | | | | 5 fluid ounces coconut milksmall red Thai |
| inhibits the white blood cells that trigger | | | | chili peppers, slightly crushed (to |
| the inflammatory response (causing sore | | | | taste)coriander (cilantro) leaves to garnish. |
| throats and the production of phlegm.) | | | | |
| | | | Note the number of red peppers is a personal |
| The "Guts" of Chicken Soup | | | | choice. It can be as few as half a chili per |
| | | | diner, toas many as 8-10 per diner, but the |
| When you are feeling under the weather, it | | | | dish should retain a balance of flavors and |
| seems that everything hot helps to make you | | | | not be overwhelmend by the chili peppers. We |
| feel better. However, the good thing about | | | | suggest about 8-12 chili peppers for this |
| chicken soup is that - properly prepared such | | | | recipe. |
| as the recipes below - it is loaded with | | | | |
| valuable nutrients. This includes: | | | | Method |
| | | | |
| Chicken: Chicken contains an amino acid | | | | Heat the stock, add the lime leaves, |
| called cysteine, a substance released when | | | | lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce, and lime |
| you make the soup. This amino acid is | | | | juice. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. |
| similar to the drug acetylcysteine, which is | | | | Add the chicken and coconut milk, then the |
| prescribed by doctors to patients with | | | | chili peppers. Bring back to the boil. Once |
| bronchitis. It thins the mucus in the lungs, | | | | boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about |
| making it easier to cough out. And hot | | | | 2 minutes (until the chicken is cooked |
| chicken vapors have been proven more | | | | through). Amish Chicken Noodle |
| effective than hot water vapors in clearing | | | | Soup |
| out the cold in your nose. | | | | |
| | | | 3 lb. grass-fed chicken |
| Carrots: Carrots, one of the routine | | | | |
| vegetable ingredients found in chicken soup, | | | | 2 qts. water |
| are the best natural source of beta-carotene. | | | | |
| The body takes that beta-carotene and | | | | 2 tsp. salt |
| converts it to vitamin A. Vitamin A helps | | | | |
| prevent and fight off infections by enhancing | | | | 1 1/2 c. organic chicken stock |
| the actions of white blood cells that | | | | |
| destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. | | | | 2 c. celery, chopped |
| | | | |
| Onions: Onions, another chicken soup regular, | | | | 2 c. carrots, chopped |
| contains quercetin, a powerful anti-oxidant | | | | |
| that is also a natural anti-histamine, and | | | | 1 tart apple, chopped |
| anti-inflammatory. | | | | |
| | | | 1 c. onions, chopped |
| Final Note | | | | |
| | | | Dash pepper |
| While chicken soup isn't a cure for a cold, | | | | |
| it does help alleviate some of the annoying | | | | 4 c. egg noodles |
| symptoms that come with it. And, if nothing | | | | |
| else, it definitely is a delicious, | | | | Place chicken in kettle with 2 quarts water. |
| comforting meal that helps keep your body | | | | Cover until tender (about 2 1/2 hours). |
| hydrated. | | | | Remove chicken from kettle and strain broth. |
| | | | De-bone chicken and return to kettle with |
| To get the full benefits, of course, we | | | | strained broth. |
| recommend homemade chicken soup using only | | | | |
| natural ingredients. | | | | Add chicken stock, celery, carrots, apple, |
| | | | onions, and pepper and cook until vegetables |
| The next time the cold bug has you down, stay | | | | are tender. |
| warm, get a lot of rest, and try slurping | | | | |