CHICKEN SOUP – PENICILLIN IN A BOWL

Winter time is soup time – thick, hot and the ultimate comforter. They’re easy to make and perfect for a quick

lunch at home or taken to work or school in a thermos. They’re cheap, so don’t waste your money on the

expensive ready-made ones, or even worse on any of the instant varieties which are nutritionally very poor.

Flu, cold, cough, sinuses, chest infections – forget pills, potions, nasal sprays and prescriptions, all you need is hot chicken soup. I’m not joking, this has been the traditional healing broth used by countless generations of wise

Jewish mothers all over the world. Research doctors in Israel have even asked the World Health Organization to add it to the List of Essential Drugs for infections.

Chicken soup is nourishing, healing, restorative and much more than old wives tales and folk lore. Modern science proves its worth. The soup contains a sulphur compound called cystine, which protects you against infections of

the throat, sinuses and chest. Cystine helps by thinning mucous in the nose and lungs, making it much easier for

the body to get rid of. It’s good for asthma too.

Protein in the soup is very easy to absorb making it rapidly available so it’s a perfect food if you are recovering from any illness. Anyone with poor immunity, chronic fatigue or exhaustion can also benefit from the vitamin and

mineral content of chicken soup. As a bonus it’s great for warding off the hangover after a night on the tiles. The

nutrients make it Nature’s miracle hangover cure.

Dr Stephen Rennard, Chief of Medicine at the University of Nebraska, has found that chicken soup is a good anti-inflammatory.

Prof. Ziment at UCLA Medical School says natural chemicals released when cooking soup are effective against chest infections. Extra benefits come from using traditional herbs and spices like garlic, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and pepper which are medicinal.

There’s nothing new about this kitchen medicine which was prescribed in the 12th century by the physician Moses

Maimonides. He used the remedy specifically for asthma as well as colds, as inhaling the steam from the hot

soup made breathing easier. A bowl provides 50% of a day’s protein, 25% of potassium, 20% of selenium and 30% of vitamin B6. Don’t wait till you’re ill to enjoy it. A recipe is cheap, easy and better than any readymade soup.

You can use the search feature in Cook'n for ‘Polish Penicillin’ or ‘Jewish Penicillin’ and find an easy and delicious recipe to capture.

Stay Healthy!!