Chicken soup, as well as soothing the soul, may have a number of beneficial effects for people suffering with colds. It has been shown to improve nutritional status, hydration, accelerate mucosal clearance and significantly inhibit neutrophil migration.1
Coughing is the fifth most common symptom for which patients seek care.2 Coughing can be caused by acute infections of the respiratory tract, diseases of the airways, foreign bodies, mucosal irritation, cardiovascular disease, reflux oesophagitis and medications.3
Moderate exercise has been shown to reduce the incidence of infection whilst having an impact on multiple aspects of the immune response, including T cell proliferation, antibody response to vaccination and cytokine production.4 In contrast, overexercising has been shown to decrease immunity, causing suppression of mucosal immune parameters. High intensity exercise over many years may result in chronic suppression of salivary immunoglobulin levels.5
References
Rennard BO et al. Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro. Chest. 2000 Oct;118(4):1150-7.
Lawler WR. An office approach to the diagnosis of chronic cough. Am Fam Physician. 1998 Dec;58(9):2015-22.
Chung KF, Pavord ID. Prevalence, pathogenesis, and causes of chronic cough. Lancet. 2008 Apr 19;371(9621):1364-74.
Senchina DS, Kohut ML. Immunological outcomes of exercise in older adults. Clin Interv Aging. 2007;2(1):3-16.
Gleeson M, Pyne DB. Special feature for the Olympics: effects of exercise on the immune system: exercise effects on mucosal immunity. Immunol Cell Biol. 2000 Oct;78(5):536-44.
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