This time of year many of us will be reaching for allergy relief medicines, but these often have side effects and lose efficiency over time. For many of us, there may be a better option.
Chicken Soup
Commonly recommended to ease symptoms of the common cold, chicken soup is thought to provide relief through a mild immune-suppressive action.
The parsley and onion in soup are good sources of quercetin, a bio-flavonoid and "mast cell stabilizer". By moderating the activity of special types of white blood cells, quercetin has shown promise in a variety of auto-immune diseases. Although generally healthy, and even promoting immune function where needed, edge cases deserve special consideration with a health care professional. Quercetin has shown anti-viral properties as well, but is not clear how this would work in the case for example of an HIV patient. (Quercetin and its derivates as antiviral potentials: A comprehensive review) [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8662201/]
By slightly reducing the aggressiveness of the immune response, chicken soup is able to bring about a moderate reduction in mucus production, sneezing and other irritating symptoms without slowing down the body's clearance of the virus.
Mechanisms
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Dosage & Contraindications
Typically 500 mg is taken between three times weekly and twice daily.
Some studies report complications in patients with kidney disease, although other studies report benefits to the kidney system. Check with your doctor if you have known renal disease or are in treatment for it.
Quercetin may also interfere with the metabolism of certain drugs in the liver, so again check with your doctor if you are taking any medications.
Quercetin acts as a mild immuno-suppressant so it is also best to check in cases with autoimmune disease, organ transplant, HIV, and similar conditions.