Grandma was right.
Chicken soup appears to have ingredients that fight the common cold.
Scientists at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha found that the soup inhibits white blood cells, which stimulate the runny noses and coughs characteristic of colds. They presented their findings in the current issue of the journal Chest, published by the American College of Chest Physicians. And the soup's effect may be the sum of its parts, rather than any one magic ingredient, said the lead researcher, Dr. Stephen Rennard. The medical benefits of chicken soup have been reported for centuries. The first known prescriber was the Egyptian Jewish physician and philosopher Moshe ben Maimonides in the 12th century.