We all have memories of coming down with a cold (“feed a cold and starve a fever”), and mom making homemade chicken soup. The aroma of carrots, celery and onions searing in the pot probably made most of us feel better immediately. But, eating chicken soup to overcome the cold isn’t a new phenomenon. As a matter of fact, it’s been around for a very long time.
People have been making chicken soup for enhanced health benefits for centuries. The ancient people of Southeast Asia started making chicken soup after the domestication of foul. The ancient Greeks also had their own version of chicken broth and they consumed it for its healing properties. Peasants of Russia and Western Europe also enjoyed the flavors and comfort of this amazing food.
Why is chicken soup so healthy? The bones of the chicken contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and collagen, which are all beneficial to the joints and digestive system. Chicken soup has also been found to fight against the deterioration of osteoporosis. It also relieves inflammation in the upper respiratory tract that can precipitate fever, chills, muscle aches and fatigue.
In terms of gut health, it acts as an anti-inflammatory and natural healer. It also contains a good amount of glutamine which provides fuel to cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. Chicken soup has also been shown to help with leaky gut syndrome.
Chicken soup is also considered one of many functional foods, which go beyond just providing nutrition. Functional foods are thought to optimize health and reduce risk of disease. The bone broth, in particular, contains glycine which is an amino acid that is the prerequisite for the production of nucleotides, neurotransmitters, and glutathione, the master antioxidant of the body.
These are just some reasons why chicken soup should be made, from scratch, in each and every senior care community around the world!