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| respiratory infections. In 1978, Marvin Sackner, M.D., a pulmonary specialist at Mount Sinai Medical School in Florida, conducted a now famous "chicken soup" study. Fifteen healthy men and women sipped hot chicken soup, hot water or cold water out of covered and uncovered containers, after which their mucus and air-flow rates were measured. Chicken soup and its vapors relieved congestion better than either the hot or cold water. |
| Irwin Ziment, M.D., a professor medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles and an authority on traditional remedies, prescribes spicy foods for colds, sinusitis, asthma, hay fever, emphysema and chronic bronchitis because peppers and other spices perform as well as many over-the-counter drugs, but without their adverse side effects. Dr. Ziment calls spicy chicken soup "the best cold remedy there is," especially when flavored with garlic, onion, pepper, curry or chili peppers. To prevent colds and flu, he prescribes a bowl of spicy chicken soup daily. Vegetarians can substitute miso, a Japanese fermented soy bean paste, for chicken in a similarly spicy broth. |
| Because viruses thrive in dry environments, liquids are an important treatment for colds and flu. The old adage, "milk makes mucus," has been verified by Australian scientists, who discovered that milk consumption encourages congestion and prevents the free flow of mucus, so milk is one liquid that should be avoided when treating a cold. However, yogurt has a proven track record as a preventer of hay fever, colds and flu. In a year-long controlled study of 120 young and elderly adults, six ounces of active-culture yogurt daily significantly reduced these illnesses. George Halpern, M.D., who conducted the study at the University of California at Davis, recommends eating yogurt daily for at least three months ahead of hay fever and cold seasons, as "it takes that long for sufficient gamma interferon to build up in your system." Acidophilus and other live culture supplements provide even more of the active bacteria that improve health and digestion. Check your health food store's refrigerator. |
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