Appliance of science: Does chicken soup really cure a cold?

Scientist Dr Naomi Lavelle explains why people reach for chicken soup to cure the common cold.

It is the season for it. Along with the Christmas glow comes the Christmas glowing nose… the snuffles, the coughs, the aches and pains. When this happens many take out the pots and pans and start rustling up a chicken soup.

But is it just and old wives’ tale or something a little more? Believe it or not, there have been a number of scientific studies carried out to answer this question.