Why tea and chicken soup only contribute to recovery to a limited extent

For a cold: Why tea and chicken soup contribute to recovery only to a limited extent

What Grandma already knew couldn’t be so wrong, could it? Many people still swear by home remedies like hot tea or chicken soup for colds – and they do have some beneficial effects. However, the supposed wonder weapon doesn’t do much more.

Berlin/Frankfurt. According to the Health Knowledge Foundation, there is no research on whether chicken soup actually helps people. Although laboratory studies indicate a possible anti-inflammatory effect, they are not yet sufficient for a scientific conclusion. After all, there is no one chicken soup, each recipe is different.

Benefits of chicken soup as a home remedy for colds

However, chicken soup definitely has two advantages: on the one hand, it is hot and thus promotes a better outflow of secretions and improves blood circulation. It promotes good health. On the other hand, a good soup with lots of vegetables provides important nutrients and plenty of energy. In this way, the victims can better get back on their feet, the foundation explains.

Hot medicinal tea does not necessarily promote recovery

Tea is liquid, hot, possibly tasty and therefore useful. But you shouldn’t expect more from medicinal teas, explains the magazine “Öko-Test” (issue 12/2019). There are medicinal herbs, the effectiveness of which has been proven. However, this assumes that they always contain certain extracts in the same amount and concentration. This can hardly be guaranteed with tea – especially if it is prepared by amateurs in the home kitchen.

Even the best teas in the test are only rated as “adequate”.

In addition, the 18 cough and bronchial teas tested by Öko-Test often contain pesticides and other undesirable substances, such as the mosquito repellent DEET. Thus, 11 of the 18 candidates are “poor” or “inadequate,” and even the best teas achieve “adequate” only because of an unproven effect.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply