With the cold and flu season steadily upon us, the mass populace are rushing to their local pharmacies to either get the flu shot administered, or to purchase medicine for cold and flu relief.

Ironically, with all the medical advancements we've witnessed in our times, it's the simple homemade remedies that often pulls us through and gets us back on our feet in no time.

One of these remedies is an all time classic - chicken soup. But what is about chicken soup that helps us get over a cold or a flu in record time?

Is it simply the warmth of the chicken broth running down a parched and scratchy throat?

Or is it the small chunks of meat and slippery noodles that nourishes the ailing soul?

Surprisingly, there is actually a science behind what makes chicken soup so good for any soul suffering from a cold and flu.

In the book, Food - Your Miracle Medicine, the now retired lung specialist Dr. Irwin Ziment, explained how this comfort food works: "Chicken, like most protein foods, contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which is released when you make the soup. Cysteine bears a remarkable chemical similarity to a drug called acetylcysteine, which doctors prescribe for their patients with bronchitis and respiratory infections."

This drug is originally derived from the feathers and skin of chickens and is a mucolytic - meaning it thins down and promotes the flow of mucus from the nose, throat, and lungs.

Simply put, chicken soup acts in much the same way.

Dr. Ziment even suggested a better way to make the soup much more effective at fighting congestion. He suggested adding onions, garlic, and hot spices like chili peppers to 'kick it up a notch.'

So this cold and flu season, get yourself - or better yet - get someone to make you some good old fashioned chicken soup, wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket, and get well soon!