have anti-inflammatory properties that could help
reduce the symptoms of the flu and colds. This research
lends credibility to what many people already believed,
that chicken soup was good for people who were ill. The
research done was very preliminary and was done in a
laboratory, not using human subjects, so it is not clear
what the effect on the immune system of a human
would actually be. The soup used in the research was
not made using the recipe given in this diet, although it
did contain some of the same ingredients.
The United States Department of Agriculture
makes recommendations for how many servings of
each type of food most adults need to eat each day
for good health. These recommendations are given in
MyPyramid, the updated version of the food guide
pyramid. The chicken soup diet is extremely limited
in what foods it allows dieters to eat. This makes it
unlikely that dieters following this diet would get
enough of all the necessary food groups. It also
makes the diet likely to be especially unhealthy if
followed for a long time or repeated frequently.
The chicken soup diet would probably allow most
dieters to get the recommended daily allowance of
vegetables. MyPyramid, recommends that healthy
adults eat the equivalent of 2 to 3 cups of vegetables
each day. The soup contains many different vegeta-
bles, and because it is the only food allowed after the
prescribed breakfasts, it is likely that most dieters
would eat enough of the soup during the day to get
the recommended amount of vegetables. These vege-
tables would be the same ones each day, however, and
because different vegetables contain different vitamins
and nutrients it is generally recommended that a vari-
ety be consumed for optimum health.MyPyramid also recommends that healthy adults
eat the equivalent of 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit per day.
Dieters following the diet strictly would not be able to
get this recommended amount of fruit each day. The
soup itself does not contain any fruit, and although 4
of the 5 breakfasts do contain some fruit, 1/2 cup of
fruit salad or 1/2 cup of orange juice is not enough to
meet the recommendations. Because the diet does not
make recommendations for what can be drank while
on the diet, a dieter may decide to drink fruit juice
while on the diet. This would help the dieter get
enough servings of fruit each day.
Dairy products are generally considered to be part
of a healthy diet. The soup in the chicken soup diet
does not contain any dairy, although each breakfast
option does contain dairy of some kind. MyPyramid
recommends the equivalent of 3 cups of low-fat or
non-fat dairy per day for healthy adults. The break-
fasts prescribed by the diet do not include enough
dairy to meet this requirement. The diet does not tell
a dieter what to drink while on the diet. If a dieter were
to choose to drink skim milk while on the diet, this
requirement might be met.
The chicken soup diet does not provide many
sources of starches or grains. MyPyramid recom-
mends the equivalent of 3 to 4 ounces of grains each
day for healthy adults, of which at least half should be
whole grains. Although 4 of the 5 breakfasts provide a
serving or more of grains, it would not be enough to
meet the requirements for a full day. There are no
significant sources of grains or starches in the soup.
MyPyramid recommends that healthy adults eat
between 5 and 6 1/2 ounces of meat or beans each day,
and specifies that lean meat is preferable. The breakfasts
allowed do not provide any servings of meat or beans,
but the soup does contain chicken that is a healthy lean
meat. Because the amount of soup allowed to be eaten is
unlimited, it is likely that a person following this diet
would consume enough chicken to meet this require-
ment. The dieter would however only be consuming
one type of meat. Variety is generally considered impor-
tant for a healthy diet because different meats and beans
contain different vitamins and minerals.
In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control recom-
mended that healthy adults get 30 minutes or more of
light to moderate exercise each day. The chicken soup
diet does not include any recommendation for exer-
cise. Exercise is generally accepted to be an important
part of any weight loss program. Studies have shown
that weight loss programs are more effective when
they combine diet and exercise instead of focusing on
just one aspect alone.QUESTIONS TO ASK THE
DOCTOR Is this diet safe for me?
Is this diet the best diet to meet my goals?
Do I have any dietary requirements this diet
might not meet?
Would a multivitamin or other dietary
supplement be appropriate for me if I were to
begin this diet?
Is this diet safe for my entire family?
Is it safe for me to follow this diet over an
extended period of time?
Are there any sign or symptoms that might
indicate a problem while on this diet?Chicken soup diet