Can chicken soup truely eliminate or cut down the intensity and time that a cold stays in our bodies?

Is the old wives tale of : "Feed a cold and starve a fever", the reverse or both of them really can defeat a cold?

Do any of the wives tales out there work at all?

Do those over the counter cold remedies from cough drops to cough syrup, vapour rubs, to the new brand of attack like the Cold FX herbal pills and inhalers actually work?

Cold FX Site

Or are we being lulled into believing that they do, because of a mass media corporate brainwashing that they effect a cold if at all?

Alright when you took biology in high school the teacher usually talks about the virus and bacteria. You also go over the immune system and how the virus act and etc.. Well your immune system stops the cold virus. Which i believe there is over 300 cold viruses right. Someone probably knows better than me. The cold medicines and home cures only relieve symptoms and not kill the virus. Which breaking your fever isnt always good. The doctors tell you to sleep it out when sick. They will even advise you to keep warm. Your body heats itself to slow the virus and speed the immune system. You couldnt get cold enough to stop the virus with out dying. So as long as you dont break the 100f thress hold your good. So yea i rather just let my body do what its got to do. Inless my nose is running than i use vicks rubbing gel. It seems to clear my chest and nose out. Remember the over the counter medicines relieve symptoms only.

Chicken soup is actualy not a bad thing by any strech. To function efficiently the human immune system requires a few things, lipids, salts, a little glucose, a little protien. Basicaly the make substances found in the lymphatic fluid and lymphatic nodes. As this is true any food that provides these in a decent balance without over providing what the bacteria or virus feed on is a good thing. Chicken soup is also gentle on the stomach, which makes it more pleasent to digest when you are ill.


Beefytacoo has it right, relieve the symptoms, and keep warm.

I find that a hot sauna helps with a cold. The steam helps break up chest congestion and the heat along with your fever helps fight the virus that produces the symptoms.