Achoo! Feel better with some chicken soup

The dreaded sniffles season is in full swing ... again. Sneezing, coughing and blowing of noses all around and when will it end? When the flu season ends in 2012.

Already some pharmacies are running low on the popular throat lozenges and other cold and flu goods. But stock up on over-the-counter cold and flu treatments after talking with the pharmacist, get a flu vaccine if your doctor recommends it, strengthen your immune system with healthy eating, exercise and rest, and don't forget the home remedies like grandma's chicken soup.

Apparently, scientists have been looking at grandma's soup and agree that it seems to be able to relieve cold and flu symptoms. Quite a few research articles point to generally two ways that chicken soup works:

1. It acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and inhibits the movement of neutrophils - immune system cells that help the body's response to inflammation.

2. The warm soup actually speeds up the movement of mucus through the nose, and in this way helps to relieve congestion associated with colds and flus and cut down on the time that viruses are in contact with the nasal lining.

Neutrophil Response

Researchers say that when we are having cold symptoms our bodies' response is a hypersensitivity reaction, and during the reaction there is an inflammatory response (which is really a complex, protective response by the body to the invasion of germs). During the response, blood vessels dilate, protective white blood cells move to injury sites, and so on.

Neutrophil, as mentioned before, are parts of the immune system and are apparently associated with increased activity during colds and flus; chicken soup's mild anti-inflammatory action suppresses the action of neutrophils and in that way minimises cold and flu symptoms.

The typical chicken soup tested in most of the research reviewed for this article had in addition to chicken, carrots, celery, onions, parsley, mushrooms, and parsnips as 'active ingredients'. Some researchers also tested commercially available brands and those able to inhibit neutrophil action were more successful in managing cold and flu symptoms.

Other homestyle remedies

Of course, there is no cure for the cold but usually health-care professionals treat the symptoms.

Sore and scratchy throat. Temporarily relieve this symptom with a warm salt-water gargle. Use about a quarter-teaspoon to a half-teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of warm water.

Keep hydrated with chicken soup and other liquids.

Keep your room's temperature warm (not hot or overheated). A clean humidifier or vaporiser, if you have one, can moisten the air. This helps ease the nagging coughing and congestion associated with colds.

Get adequate sleep and rest. Restful sleep builds the immune system and should be part of the strategy to prevent colds and flus. Sleep and rest also help to manage cold and flu symptoms. It's also recommended that sick people stay at home, if possible, to prevent infecting other people during this cold war season.

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, scrubbing them for about 20 seconds.

Eulalee Thompson is health editor and a professional counsellor; email: eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com.