continued...

Three: Add vegetables, according to their firmness, to a hot stock - potatoes, carrots, celery and other roots first. Cabbage and other leafy vegetables are added toward the end. Although there is no evidence that the vegetables contribute to the beneficial effects of chicken soup, the vegetables give the soup substance, as well as making it taste better. Many of these vegetables also have vitamins and minerals that can aid in the healing process.

Four: Add grains at the same time you add the leafy vegetables. It takes about 20 minutes for both to be cooked. The grains give the soup a very specific flavor and thickness, but the nutritional and healing properties of these grains should not be overlooked. Millet is high in protein and has a great balance of amino acids, including high lysine and methionine + cystine levels, as well as linolenic acid. Lysine allows the body to heal and helps the immune response by creating antibodies. Buckwheat is a grain that is high in rutin, which has antioxidant qualities, and has been linked to helping patients fight cancer and inflammation. It also aids in cardiovascular health by building stronger capillaries, lowering blood pressure, reducing swelling in the legs due to venous insufficiency, and lowering LDL cholesterol, thus aiding in heart health. Barley is another incredible grain that has been shown to lower sugars in diabetic patients, according to several recent studies conducted by Lund University.

Five: Add spices last - do not overboil. When you add spices, you add both flavor and antioxidant healing properties, but overexposing them to heat can destroy the elements that make each spice healthy. For several decades, scientists have been astonished by a low occurrence of cancer in the Thai population. After a number of research studies were conducted, the spices in tom yum (hot and sour) soup - a staple in the Thai diet - were believed to have cancer-fighting effects. In 2005, researchers at Israel's Ben Gurion University of the Negev conducted an in vitro study of the effects of citral, a compound found in lemongrass, which is one of the components of tom yum soup. The study showed that as little as 1 gram of citral causes cancer cells to "commit suicide: using apoptosis, a mechanism called programmed cell death" while the healthy cells remained untouched.

Chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity. A mild anti-inflammatory effect could be one mechanism by which the soup could result in the mitigation of symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections.

Soup Recipes

Tom Yum (Hot & Sour) Soup

Pour stock into a deep cooking pot. De-shell and de-vein the shrimp, and add the heads and shells to the stock. Add lemon grass, garlic, galangal, ginger, chilies and lime leaves. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-30 minutes. Strain the liquid and dispose of the rest. Add the mushrooms and shrimp. Boil for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the coconut milk and fish sauce (in 1-tablespoon increments since it is quite salty). If the soup is too spicy for your taste, add more coconut milk. You may substitute shrimp with chicken, meat or tofu. Add fresh cilantro to the soup when you serve it, but do not boil it in the soup.