{"id":47065,"date":"2000-10-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2000-10-17T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2000\/10\/17\/mother-approved-doctor-tested\/"},"modified":"2022-08-29T10:54:26","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T15:54:26","slug":"mother-approved-doctor-tested","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2000\/10\/17\/mother-approved-doctor-tested\/","title":{"rendered":"Mother approved, doctor tested:"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/u><\/i><\/p>\n

Research Hints that Chicken Soup Remedy May Have Scientific<\/p>\n

Validity in Reducing Cold Symptoms<\/p>\n

With the cold and flu season just around the corner, Americans may welcome<\/p>\n

news about a published, well-controlled research study that says chicken<\/p>\n

soup may contain a number of substances, including an anti-inflammatory<\/p>\n

mechanism, that could ease the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.<\/p>\n

The suspected benefits of chicken soup were reported centuries ago.<\/p>\n

The Egyptian Jewish physician and philosopher, Moshe ben Maimonides, recommended<\/p>\n

chicken soup for respiratory tract symptoms in his 12th century writings<\/p>\n

which were, in turn, based on earlier Greek writings. But, theres little<\/p>\n

in the literature to explain how it works.<\/p>\n

A challenge outside of the normal realm of scientific research, and<\/p>\n

curiosity about the long-touted folk medicine, first led a University of<\/p>\n

Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) physician\/researcher to embark upon an off-beat<\/p>\n

study to see if the soup may indeed have medicinal value.<\/p>\n

In 1993, Stephen Rennard, M.D., conducted an informal laboratory study<\/p>\n

and submitted the results as an abstract mostly because of its amusement<\/p>\n

value. Seven years later, his chicken soup research has been officially<\/p>\n

published in the Oct. 17 issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the<\/p>\n

American College of Chest Physicians. It is titled, Chicken Soup Inhibits<\/p>\n

Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rennard, Larson Professor of Medicine in the Pulmonary and Critical<\/p>\n

Care Medicine Section at UNMC, had for years watched his wife, Barbara,<\/p>\n

cook her Lithuanian grandmothers chicken soup recipe when a cold was going<\/p>\n

around her family of 10.<\/p>\n

She told me the soup was good for colds, Dr. Rennard said. Ive heard<\/p>\n

that a zillion times. Then I started to think, well, maybe it has some<\/p>\n

anti-inflammatory value. Everyones heard this from their mother in many<\/p>\n

cultures. No one seems to have a monopoly on the insight of the value of<\/p>\n

chicken soup.<\/p>\n

Three batches of soup prepared in the home of Dr. Rennard were studied<\/p>\n

in the laboratory under controlled conditions. Researchers collected neutrophils<\/p>\n

from blood donated by healthy, non-smoking volunteers.<\/p>\n

The study focus was to find out if the movement of neutrophils the<\/p>\n

most common white cell in the blood that defends the body against infection<\/p>\n

would be blocked or reduced by chicken soup. Researchers suspect the<\/p>\n

reduction in movement of neutrophils may reduce activity in the upper respiratory<\/p>\n

tract that can cause symptoms associated with a cold.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Colds are the result of infection in the upper respiratory tract, which<\/p>\n

causes inflammation. Although colds are not completely understood, it is<\/p>\n

believed the inflammation contributes to cold symptoms. Dr. Rennard theorized<\/p>\n

if soup can stop or reduce inflammation, it might reduce the symptoms of<\/p>\n

a cold.<\/p>\n

In the laboratory, UNMC scientists diluted the soup and subjected the<\/p>\n

neutrophils to several variations of the soup, including vegetables, chicken<\/p>\n

and a combination of the ingredients. The team found the movement of neutrophils<\/p>\n

were reduced. Samples taken during the initial stages of the soup with<\/p>\n

chicken broth alone were not found effective in inhibiting neutrophil movement.<\/p>\n

The researchers were not able to identify the exact ingredient or ingredients<\/p>\n

in the soup that made it effective against fighting colds but theorize<\/p>\n

it may be a combination of ingredients in the soup that work together to<\/p>\n

have beneficial effects. All vegetables and the soup had activity, Dr.<\/p>\n

Rennard said. I think its the concoction.<\/p>\n

Known as Grandmas soup, the recipe includes chicken, onions, sweet<\/p>\n

potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery stems, parsley, salt and pepper.<\/p>\n

For comparison purposes, commercial soups were obtained from a local supermarket<\/p>\n

and prepared according to the directions on the label. Many of the soups<\/p>\n

had the same inhibitory effect.<\/p>\n

A variety of soup preparations were evaluated and found to be variably,<\/p>\n

but generally, able to inhibit neutrophil chemotaxis, Dr. Rennard said.<\/p>\n

The current study, therefore, presents evidence that chicken soup might<\/p>\n

have an anti-inflammatory activity, namely the inhibition of neutrophil<\/p>\n

migration.<\/p>\n

Researchers noted that Grandmas soup has several unusual features.<\/p>\n

It contains strained vegetables. Dr. Rennard noted, however, that the inhibitory<\/p>\n

activity was observed with several other recipes that lack the particles<\/p>\n

from vegetables. Thus, he said, while the identity of the biologically<\/p>\n

active materials is unknown, it seems likely they are water-soluble or<\/p>\n

extractable. Pureed carrots or other vegetables are not recommended as<\/p>\n

a remedy while chicken soup is.<\/p>\n

He said the soup also may improve rehydration and nutrition in the body.<\/p>\n

The psychological and physical comfort soup provides may also have a placebo<\/p>\n

effect for those who are feeling ill.<\/p>\n

Ronald Ertl, research coordinator of the lung biology laboratory at<\/p>\n

UNMC, said colleagues working near the lab wondered about the aroma coming<\/p>\n

from the lab. It was the only time in my life when I could work in the<\/p>\n

lab and taste the samples, Ertl said. The lab shouldnt smell like your<\/p>\n

kitchen.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

CHEST is published by the American College of Chest Physicians which<\/p>\n

represents 15,000 members who provide clinical respiratory and cardiothoracic<\/p>\n

patient care in the United States and throughout the world.<\/p>\n

UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.<\/p>\n

Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals<\/p>\n

practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment<\/p>\n

to research, education, outreach and patient care, UNMC has established<\/p>\n

itself as one of the country’s leading centers for research in cancer,<\/p>\n

genetics, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and arthritis.<\/p>\n

During the past year, UNMCs research funding increased by 31 percent and<\/p>\n

now exceeds $40 million, including more than $25 million in federal funding<\/p>\n

from such sources as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science<\/p>\n

Foundation, Department of Defense and VeteransAdministration.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Research Hints that Chicken Soup Remedy May Have Scientific Validity in Reducing Cold Symptoms With the cold and flu season just around the corner, Americans may welcome news about a published, well-controlled research study that says chicken soup may contain a number of substances, including an anti-inflammatory mechanism, that could ease the symptoms of upper 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