Chicken Soup For the Sick

Q: When is a man not a man? A: When he's sick. In that case, he's a big fat whiny crybaby. I'll be the first to admit that i'm a big fat baby when I'm sick. Women complain about it all the time, so I figured I'd just own up to that fact and accept my reality.

I've been sick for a while now, something that definitley puts a damper on my writing and cooking, the top two things that keep MIA operational. But it got me to thinking about the whole chicken soup when you're sick thing. Why does your mom give you chicken soup when you're sick? Does it really work? Or is that just an old wive's tale? Let's find out ...

About.com says:

The hot liquid and steam from the soup can help open up passageways, and loosen and thin mucous. According to some recent studies, chicken soup has had effects on white blood cells by slowing them down in test tubes. White blood cells are responsible for the inflammation and the flow of mucuous in the lungs.

Sources: Coldflu.about.com, Dr. Gourmet

When I was sick as a child, I can always remember getting that hot bowl of chicken noodle soup on a TV tray, accompanied by a few saltine crackers. I don't remember actually enjoying it all that much, but I did enjoy and appreicate the attention.

Here's a great recipe for chicken soup at Simply Recipes.