There is nothing worse than having a runny nose, a ratty cough and a stuffy head when winter comes around. Whether it is a virus attack, weather changing too fast or one catching cold, we all know that chicken soup that feels good for the soul is perhaps the best treatment for cold than over-the counter medications or antibiotics that doctors love to prescribe.

All cultures and lands opt for chicken soup, broth or yakhni when it comes to treating flu. The Jewish didn’t call it Penicillin for nothing. Apparently chicken contains an amino acid called cysteine which is similar to chemical content called acetylcysteine that doctors prescribe for respiratory tract infections.

This when cooked acts against the strain of virus that causes flu. When mucus thins out, it is easier to expel. So all you need to do is add some nutritious vegetables to your grandmother’s recipe for soup and three mugs or bowlfuls of soups will put you back on your feet in a day.

What’s good for the soul is certainly good for the cold!

Garlic and onion contain sulphur so a lot of those must be added to chicken soup, along with ginger that is very beneficial for cold and cough. A bit of turmeric for all its medicinal anti-inflammatory value can go in too along with peppercorns. Remember the honey-peppercorn remedy for sore throat? Well peppercorn too helps break and dispel mucus as well as heal the throat.

Research shows that in blood samples from volunteers who were given soup instead of hot or cold water during flu, chicken soup seemed to inhibit the movement of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell that defends against infection. So by inhibiting the migration of these infection-fighting cells in the body, chicken soup essentially helps reduce upper respiratory cold symptoms.

In general, the hot fluids helped increase the movement of nasal mucus, but chicken soup did a better job than the hot water, by improving the function of protective cilia, the tiny hairlike projections in the nose that prevent contagions from entering the body.

Soup can be made more effective against colds if chicken is combined with vegetables that are loaded with minerals and vitamins. Go ahead and pop in some onions, sweet cabbage, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery stems, parsley, spinach leaves, green peas, salt and pepper.

Since the saying goes like ‘feed the cold and starve the fever’, you could add noodles to your soup and make it a bit more filling as well.

The secret is to not cook the veggies for too long so as to allow the anti-oxidant, vitamin and mineral content to stay put. It is the staying hydrated part that works well during colds which allows the mucus to break up and toxins to exit from the body.

Lastly, a daring tip for you. You can fight the chill with chillies. Instead of keeping your soup tame, spice up things with some Thai red chillies, chilli paste, chili flakes, chili powder or chili sauce. This will get your tears rolling and nose running, clearing the mucus lining and sending those viruses home.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 17th, 2016