Yesterday, I talked about how cold and flu sufferers are discovering homeopathic remedies such as echinacea and zinc lozenges because they either find over-the-counter cold and flu drugs ineffective or they are wary of side effects like drowsiness.

If there was ever a health condition that had the most home remedies, it would definitely be colds and flu. Some of the ones I’ve heard about include gargling salt water, drinking grapefruit juice by the quart, submitting to acupuncture, and employing horsetail (the herb) inhalations.

Maybe they work. I was rarely sick growing up, but on the few occasions when I caught a cold, Mom served up a heaping helping of “Jewish penicillin,” otherwise known as homemade chicken soup. There’s something about slurping a zesty soup made from scratch with fiber-rich vegetables such as celery, carrots, onion, and zucchini.

The recuperative effects of chicken soup date as far back as the 12th century when the Jewish physician and philosopher Moses Maimonides recommended its use for the treatment of respiratory infections. These days in Escondido, California, local doctors send patients to Lourdes Mexican Food restaurant to slurp its home-style chicken soup made with “secret spices,” and on rainy days, the restaurant sells 400 bowls of its nourishing soup.

Why is chicken soup so good for the soul? (Hey, that would make a great title to a series of books.) Stephen Rennard, M.D. and chief of pulmonary medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, says that chicken soup acts as an anti-inflammatory, meaning that sipping chicken soup reduces the inflammation that occurs when coughs and congestion strike the respiratory tract. In addition, chicken soup keeps a check on inflammatory white blood cells, also known as neutrophils, that are produced by the onset of cold symptoms.

Dr. Rennard conducted a full-blown study on the medicinal qualities of chicken soup. He had his wife prepare up a batch using a recipe from her Lithuanian grandmother. Then he carted the homemade chicken soup to his laboratory, where he poured—well, maybe not poured since that sounds so scientifically imprecise—combined some of the soup with neutrophils to see what would happen. Remember that neutrophils, or white blood cells, rush to attack an invading virus, and that is what causes fluids to build up in the chest.

As Dr. Rennard suspected, his wife’s homemade chicken soup demonstrated that neutrophils showed less of a tendency to congregate, but at the same time, these neutrophils did not lose any of their ability to fight off germs. His findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Dr. Rennard also tested more than a dozen store-bought soups, and a third of them slowed down neutrophils even more. I’m mystified how that happened since I think you can do better than rushing to the supermarket and purchasing a couple of cans of iconic Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. You’ll be better off making the real deal from scratch, and you may want to even consider adding chicken feet to the recipe, which Jewish folklore considers the secret to a successful broth. As you look over the following recipe for chicken soup, take notice of the last ingredient I added to this recipe—cayenne pepper. That’ll clear the sinuses!

Here’s an excellent recipe for chicken soup, which was inspired by my Grandma Rose and good friend Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions:

Cold and Flu Bustin’ Spicy Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (free range, pastured, or organic chicken)
• 2-4 chicken feet (optional)
• 3–4 quarts cold filtered water
• 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
• 4 medium-sized onions, coarsely chopped
• 8 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 6 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 2–4 zucchinis chopped
• 4–6 tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 bunch parsley
• 5 garlic cloves
• 4 inches grated ginger
• 2–4 tablespoons Celtic sea salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions: If you are using a whole chicken, remove fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. By all means, use chicken feet if you can find them. Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with the water, vinegar, and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand for 10 minutes before heating. Bring to a boil and remove scum that rises to the top. Cover and cook for 12 to 24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the more healing it will be. About 15 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Remove from heat and take out the chicken and the chicken feet. Let it cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass, discarding the bones and the feet. Drop the meat back to the soup.

I also recommend that this homemade chicken soup should be consume when you go on the Perfect Cleanse during the winter and spring months. The high-fiber vegetables and healthy broth are wonderful for the body’s digestive system and delicious to eat as well, especially when it’s cold outside.