Chicken Soup: Does it heal the soul?

For as long as I can remember my mom and grandmother have always said that the best remedy for a cold is chicken noodle soup.  As I was growing up I never questioned the amazing healing properties of this mystical liquid, but now find myself being a skeptic of many of the "truths" my family taught me about health and wellness.  Going through medical school has definitely changed my outlook on the way I view health and wellness and it is no longer acceptable for me to just take any one's word  about a treatment (even if it is my mom's word).  After doing some research I found that chicken soup as a cure is not just an old wives tale.  There are compounds called carnosine that strengthen the immune system to fight off the cold and flu bugs.  Previous studies show that Chicken Noodle Soup has an anti-inflammatory effect which can help reduce upper respiratory symptoms.  Who ever would have thought that mom's had it right all along?