Chicken soup with bone broth seems to be cross culturally a traditional treatment for acute respiratory tract infections. In Western Medicine, doctors like Pedanius Dioscorides in 60AD and Galen in the second century AD advocated it. Over in China in the second century BC Huangdi Neijing wrote about it in a key Traditional Chinese Medicine book. Through the work of an Egyptian Jewish doctor called Moses Maimonides in the 12th hundreds it became popular among the Jewish while being called “Jewish Pencilin” in the 20th century.
Geminifound differently formulations of the soup in the traditions of Philippines, Korea, China, North Africa, Iran, India, Thailand, West Africa, Levant, Greece, Mexico, Asia, West Africa and Peru.
While the evidence base could be better a literature review byLucas et al found: Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are a significant global health burden, contributing to increased healthcare use, absenteeism, and economic strain. While clinical treatments exist, many individuals use traditional dietary remedies such as soup to relieve symptoms. [… Four studies (n = 342) met inclusion criteria. Interventions commonly included chicken-based soups with vegetables and herbs. Comparators varied (e.g., no treatment, water, or alternative soup). Findings showed modest reductions in symptom severity and illness duration (by 1–2.5 days).
Chiming in with another causal mechanism: hot soup lets off steam. Humid air in general plays nicer with our lungs, and can noticeably help when people are having a cough, or having trouble breathing. I sometimes use “just have them sit over a canteen of steaming-hot water” as a palliative for both issues.
Inhalation of humid air is a standard treatment for dealing with mucus better in medicine and pretty well studied. It does not cut illness duration by 1-2.5 days. If you look for example at the Mayo Clinic page for influenza treatments that does not rise to the level of standard recommendation.
I think it’s pretty stupid that when I was with pneumonia and influenza in the hospital I did not get heated water for my normal drinking water, but the effect sizes involved are smaller.
There are quite many ways to give people humid air, it does not explain why so many different traditions ended up with chicken broth soup in particular. The thing that distinguishes this specific kind of soup is the glycine, hyaluronan and a few other substances that exist in connective tissue and can be helpful supplements for connective tissue issues like wrinkles and joint pain.
Chicken soup with bone broth seems to be cross culturally a traditional treatment for acute respiratory tract infections. In Western Medicine, doctors like Pedanius Dioscorides in 60AD and Galen in the second century AD advocated it. Over in China in the second century BC Huangdi Neijing wrote about it in a key Traditional Chinese Medicine book. Through the work of an Egyptian Jewish doctor called Moses Maimonides in the 12th hundreds it became popular among the Jewish while being called “Jewish Pencilin” in the 20th century.
Gemini found differently formulations of the soup in the traditions of Philippines, Korea, China, North Africa, Iran, India, Thailand, West Africa, Levant, Greece, Mexico, Asia, West Africa and Peru.
While the evidence base could be better a literature review by Lucas et al found: Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are a significant global health burden, contributing to increased healthcare use, absenteeism, and economic strain. While clinical treatments exist, many individuals use traditional dietary remedies such as soup to relieve symptoms. [… Four studies (n = 342) met inclusion criteria. Interventions commonly included chicken-based soups with vegetables and herbs. Comparators varied (e.g., no treatment, water, or alternative soup). Findings showed modest reductions in symptom severity and illness duration (by 1–2.5 days).
Chiming in with another causal mechanism: hot soup lets off steam. Humid air in general plays nicer with our lungs, and can noticeably help when people are having a cough, or having trouble breathing. I sometimes use “just have them sit over a canteen of steaming-hot water” as a palliative for both issues.
Inhalation of humid air is a standard treatment for dealing with mucus better in medicine and pretty well studied. It does not cut illness duration by 1-2.5 days. If you look for example at the Mayo Clinic page for influenza treatments that does not rise to the level of standard recommendation.
I think it’s pretty stupid that when I was with pneumonia and influenza in the hospital I did not get heated water for my normal drinking water, but the effect sizes involved are smaller.
There are quite many ways to give people humid air, it does not explain why so many different traditions ended up with chicken broth soup in particular. The thing that distinguishes this specific kind of soup is the glycine, hyaluronan and a few other substances that exist in connective tissue and can be helpful supplements for connective tissue issues like wrinkles and joint pain.