Chicken soup has long been thought of as a remedy for a cold or respiratory virus, says Ben-Asher.

Food is energy, after all.

Every single one of these foods provide your body with a potent punch of nutrients.

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Read on for more details on what health benefits you reap from all of the above.

Why is chicken soup for colds actually effective?

Its all in the ingredients.

Broth in Bowl on gray background, healthy food, top view.

Chicken

Chicken, a lean white meat, comes withplenty of nutritional benefits.

Chicken is an excellent source of protein, iron, zinc, and certain B vitamins, says Ben-Asher.

Carrots

Theres a good reason that your parents always forced your vegetables on you as a kid, especiallycarrots.

Close-up of sliced purple cabbage,

These root vegetables are an excellent source of a photochemical beta-carotene.

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3.

Celery

Thecelery juice crazeis more than just an Instagram influencer-backed health-booster.

soba noodles

Rather, celery has a number ofunique properties that are good for the human body.

This is especially important when youre feeling under the weather.

These antioxidants, Ben-Asher notes, are key to improving your immune responseboth before and during illness.

A hand is stirring a sourdough starter in a glass jar, on a kitchen countertop. The light casts a warm glow, highlighting the ingredients inside the jar.

However, there are certainly caveats to be noted.

For one, the health-boosting effect may not be as valuable with highly-processed, packaged commercially-available chicken soup.

The only side effect is potentially bliss and wellness.

Frozen beef steaks on brownish packaging paper. Light effect.

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