Chicken stock for colds
Chicken broth has long been considered a healthy food during illness. We learned the opinion of experts and tell who can and cannot eat chicken broth with a cold

Many of us were made chicken broth as children. A few spoons of a fragrant hot dish satiated well and helped when a sore throat or a cough began. We remember how a light warmth passed through the body, it became easier. What was it – pleasant sensations from the care of our loved ones or the real benefits of the broth? ” Healthy Food Near Me” understands in which cases it is worth leaning on chicken broth for a cold, and in which it is not.

Benefits of chicken broth for colds

According to experts, chicken broth is one of the best home remedies for sickness. 

– Often liquid meals are a component of a therapeutic diet for problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Warm light broths without frying from vegetables, from chicken or turkey breast without fat and skin saturate the body well. There are a lot of microelements and hyaluronic acid in such a broth,” says doctor Irina Yuzup.

The broth helps the immune system fight infection. It contains easily digestible amino acids. They quickly enter the bloodstream, and the immune system uses them to build proteins – immunoglobulins that fight infectious agents, says nutritionist Roman Malkov.

– If a person is worried about the temperature, his appetite decreases. Chicken broth is a great product that allows you to replenish your strength – it is nutritious, well absorbed and helps fight colds, – says gastroenterologist Olga Arisheva.

Broth made from properly fed chickens has carnosine in it (1). The beneficial substance helps in the early stages of the flu. Chicken broth thins the mucus, and it becomes easier for the patient to cough up. 

– Chicken broth contains cysteine, an amino acid that thins phlegm and helps to recover from illness. This product is recommended for adults, children and pregnant women. The only contraindication for consumption is intolerance to chicken protein, explains Olga Arisheva.

How often should a patient take chicken broth

If we want to achieve good results, we need to give chicken broth to the patient at least once a day, and preferably three times a day. True, you first need to check the temperature of the dish:

– Do not eat hot soups. Boiling water burns the esophagus. Constant such traumatization of the mucosa leads to an increased risk of esophageal cancer, says doctor Irina Yuzup.

Is chicken broth bad for a cold?

When treating a cold, do not forget about chronic diseases. Broth even from very high quality chicken can be harmful to those who suffer from diseases of the large intestine. 

– Rich and fatty broths are contraindicated in patients with gout, people with chronic renal failure, suffering from kidney stones and bile ducts, as they contain a large amount of purine bases. The use of chicken broth can cause hepatic colic when the stone gets stuck in the duct, Roman Malkov comments.

Recipe for chicken broth for a cold for a sick person

“Healing” chicken broth is not difficult to prepare, but this dish has its own secrets. When choosing meat, keep in mind that purchased poultry may contain hormones, antibiotics, and heavy metals. To get rid of harmful ingredients, broilers are boiled twice or thrice, each time draining the broth and adding fresh water to the pan.

For a sick person, it is best to prepare homemade chicken broth. Moreover, it is not cooked for an hour, like a broiler, but for 2-2,5 hours – until fully cooked.

Chicken1/2 carcass, approximately 600 g
Onions1 head 
Garlic1-2 cloves 
Ginger root20 g
Parsleysmall bundle
medium sized carrots1 piece.
Bay leaf1 piece.
Water1,5 l 
Saltto taste

Cut the chicken into pieces, rinse and put in a saucepan. Add clean cold water and bring to a boil. Remove the foam, reduce the heat and cook for about half an hour. Then put peeled onions, carrots and garlic in a saucepan, and 5 minutes before readiness – parsley, bay leaf, ginger root and salt. Strain the finished broth and add the chopped greens.  

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Popular questions and answers

Is it possible to eat chicken broth with a cold with a temperature?

– By raising the temperature, the body throws all its strength into fighting the infection. The patient refuses food (decreased appetite), so as not to waste energy on the digestion and assimilation of food. During a cold, it is important to eat light foods that do not require serious work of the digestive tract. The broth just belongs to them, – says doctor Roman Malkov.

If during the illness you feel at least a small appetite, chicken broth will not hurt and even alleviate the condition. In order not to aggravate the situation, never give the patient too hot broth at a high temperature.

Can pregnant women eat chicken broth for a cold?

Pregnant women are not contraindicated in chicken broth. True, during toxicosis, when tastes change dramatically, a woman may not tolerate the smell of boiled chicken. If the taste of the dish causes unpleasant feelings, it is not necessary to eat it.

Can children eat chicken broth for a cold?

Rich chicken broth is a good remedy for colds, but experts have found that it can cause an allergic reaction in young children (2). For this reason, during illness, chicken broth should be given with caution. The child’s body is already weakened by the disease, unnecessary exacerbations will only aggravate the disease. If an allergic reaction occurs, chicken broth is not suitable for a child.

Sources of

  1. Pirogova I.A., Shaldina M.V. Ration in the postoperative period during laparoscopic operations on the pelvic organs. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/ratsion-v-postoperatsionnom-periode-pri-laparoskopicheskih-operatsiyah-na-organah-malogo-taza
  2. Rovda Yu. A. Treatment of allergic dermatitis in children. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/lechenie-allergicheskogo-dermatita-u-detey

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