Does Chicken Soup Really Help When You’reSick?　Colby Teeman在你生病时鸡汤真的有帮助吗？

The origins of chicken soup go backthousands of years earlier， to ancientChina. Preparing a bowl of chicken soupfor a loved one when they’re sick hasbeen a common practice throughout theworld for centuries. Today， generationsfrom virtually every culture are greatbelievers in the benefits of chicken soup.But different cultures prepare the dish intheir own way.

So， it’s worth asking： Is there anyscience to back the belief that it helps？ Ordoes chicken soup serve as just a comforting1 thing， that is， providing psychological2 benefit while we’re sick，without an actual therapeutic3 benefit？

All that makes sense. Studies showthat taste， it turns out， is very important tothe healing properties4 of chicken soup.When we see patients with illnesses， we cannotice many of them are suddenly eatingless or not eating at all. This is becauseillnesses can decrease your appetite5. Notfeeling like eating means you’re unlikely toget the nutrition6 you need， which makes ithard to recover from illness.

鸡汤的起源可以追溯到数千年前的古代中国。几个世纪以来，亲人生病时为他们准备一碗鸡汤一直是全世界的普通做法。今天，几乎所有文化的世代都对鸡汤的好处深信不疑。但不同文化会用自己的方式来准备这道菜。

因此，值得一问的是：是否有科学依据证明鸡汤有帮助？还是说鸡汤只是一种安慰性的东西，即在我们生病时提供心理上的益处，而没有实际治疗上的益处？

所有这些都是有道理的。研究表明，味道对鸡汤的疗效至关重要。当我们看到病患时，我们可以注意到他们中的许多人突然少吃或根本不吃东西。这是因为疾病会降低食欲。不想吃饭意味着你不太可能获得所需的营养，这使你很难从疾病中康复。

But some research suggests that the umami7 taste in chicken soup may help spur8 a bigger appetite. People in one studysaid they felt hungrier after their taste of asoup with umami flavor.

Other studies say umami may alsoimprove nutrient9 digestion10. Once our brainssense umami through our tongues， our bodiesprepareto absorb11 protein more easily.

Inflammation12 is part of the body’snatural response to injuryor illness. And interes -tingly， research shows thatchicken soup can in facthelp reduce inflammation.

To truly understandthe soothing and healingeffects of chicken soup， it’simportant to consider the soup’s ingre -dients13. Not all chicken soups are packedwith nutritious healing properties. Forexample， the canned versions of chickensoup， lack many of the antioxidants14 foundin homemade versions. Most canned versionsof chicken soup are nearly without vegetables.The core nutrients in homemade versions ofthe soup are different from canned versions.Chicken provides the body with a completesource of protein to fight the illness whilevegetables supply a wide array of vitaminsand antioxidants.

但一些研究表明，鸡汤中的鲜味可能有助于激起食欲。一项研究中的人们表示，他们尝到有鲜味的汤后，感觉更饿了。

其他研究表明鲜味也可以改善营养物质的消化。一旦我们的大脑通过舌头感受到鲜味，我们的身体就更容易准备好吸收蛋白质。

炎症是身体对伤病的自然反应的一部分。有趣的是，研究表明，鸡汤实际上有助于减少炎症。

要想真正了解鸡汤的舒缓和治愈作用，重要的是要考虑鸡汤的成分。并不是所有的鸡汤都有营养丰富的治疗功效。例如，罐装鸡汤都缺乏自家做的鸡汤中的许多抗氧化剂。大多数罐装鸡汤里几乎没有蔬菜。自制鸡汤的核心营养成分与罐装鸡汤不同。鸡肉为身体提供了丰富的蛋白质来对抗疾病，而蔬菜提供了多种维生素和抗氧化剂。

Even the warmth of chicken soupcan help. Drinking it increase thetemperature of nose and throat passages，which loosens15 the thick mucus16 thatoften caused by illnesses. Comparedwith hot water alone， studies showchicken soup is more effective atloosening mucus. The spices sometimesused in chicken soup， such as pepperand garlic， also loosen mucus.

In short， the latest science suggeststhat chicken soup—though not an outand-out cure for the illnesses such ascolds and flu—really helps with healing.Looks like Grandma was right again.

即使是鸡汤的温度也会有所帮助。喝鸡汤会提高鼻腔和喉咙的温度，从而稀释通常因疾病产生的粘稠粘液。研究表明，与单独的热水相比，鸡汤更能有效地化痰。鸡汤中有时使用的香料，如胡椒和大蒜，也可以化痰。

简而言之，最新的科学表明，鸡汤虽然不能彻底治愈感冒和流感之类的疾病，但确实有助于治愈。看来奶奶又对了。

（英语原文选自：recipes.howstuffworks.com）