Your Health by Dr. Rallie McAllister

People have been catching colds since the beginning of time — and for just as long, we've been trying to cure them. In spite of our best efforts, the common cold remains one of the most frequently acquired illnesses in the world.

If you're like most adults, you can expect to catch a cold two to four times each year. With each infection, you'll likely spend around eight to 10 days coughing, sniffling, sneezing and generally feeling miserable.

Colds occur when one of over 200 types of microscopic viruses invades the cells of the nose and throat. The viruses may be tiny, but they're practically indestructible.

Antibiotic drugs capable of stopping bacteria in their tracks can't put a dent in viruses. Medicines strong enough to kill most cold-causing microbes would probably kill their human hosts in the process.

When it comes to battling colds, most of us have come to accept the limitations of modern medicine. Although scientists have developed a mighty arsenal of high-tech drugs to fend off the most dreaded diseases, they still haven't found a cure for the common cold.

Until a cure is found, the best course of action for cold sufferers might be to follow the time-tested advice of mothers everywhere: Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluid and have a bowl of chicken soup.

As it turns out, our moms were right. In a laboratory study conducted by researchers at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, chicken soup was found to reduce inflammation and slow the migration of white blood cells to infected tissues.

This action is especially beneficial to cold sufferers because within an hour of being infected by cold viruses, the invaded cells of the nose and throat begin to swell. They also release chemicals called prostaglandins, which attract white blood cells to battle the meddling microbes.

As the disease-fighting cells report for duty, they begin to pile up by the millions in the nose, throat and lungs, producing a massive flow of mucus that leads to sniffling, sneezing and stuffiness. By interfering with the migration of white blood cells, chicken soup reduces the production of mucus and helps alleviate congestion.

Scientists have a few additional theories about how chicken soup works its medicinal magic.

Chicken and other poultry meats are rich in zinc, a mineral that is essential for maintaining a strong immune system.

Zinc appears to have potent powers against cold viruses, preventing them from latching onto cells in the respiratory tract and thwarting their ability to multiply. The mineral bolsters the immune system by stimulating the production of a natural virus-fighting substance called interferon.

Chicken is a good source of cysteine, an amino acid that helps break up mucus and facilitates its expulsion from the body. Cysteine is also used in the repair of injured cells and tissues in the respiratory tract.

If your mom's recipe calls for lots of vegetables and a pinch of fresh garlic, the healing powers of her chicken soup are even greater. Carrots and celery are loaded with antioxidants that help protect the cells of the nose, throat and lungs from virus-induced damage.

Onions are a good source of vitamin C and quercetin, a plant compound capable of killing cold and flu viruses. Scientific evidence suggests that regular quercetin intake improves lung function and reduces the risk of acquiring respiratory diseases.

Garlic has long been used as a treatment for infection. The pungent herb contains allicin, a chemical with powerful antiviral properties.

The fluids in chicken soup help keep your body properly hydrated. When the mucus lining your respiratory tract is moist, it acts like sticky flypaper, trapping and destroying invading viruses.

Some of the cold-fighting benefits of chicken soup have more to do with its temperature than its ingredients. The steam from a bowl of piping hot soup acts as a powerful decongestant, breaking up clogged secretions in your nose, throat and chest so they can be expelled more easily.

Drinking the hot broth brings about a temporary elevation in body temperature, hindering the ability of cold viruses to multiply. A higher body temperature speeds the rate of chemical reactions so that injured cells of the respiratory tract can repair themselves more quickly.

Until a cure for the common cold is found, we should all keep following our mothers' advice: Drink plenty of fluids, get lots of rest and bring on the chicken soup.

Rallie McAllister, M.D. is a family physician, author, speaker, and co-founder of www.MommyMDGuides.com, a website featuring child-raising tips from trusted doctors who are also moms. To find out more about Rallie McAllister, M.D., and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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