Why Soup Is So Soothing When You Have a Fever

When you’re shivering one minute and sweating the next, it’s easy to feel helpless with a fever. While soup won’t cure a fever directly, it can provide gentle, nourishing support your body needs while it fights off illness. And yes there’s real science behind why that steaming bowl of broth is always recommended when you're under the weather.

Why Soup Works When You’re Sick

A fever is your immune system’s natural defense mechanism against infection, often caused by viruses or bacteria. According to the Cleveland Clinic, fevers raise your body temperature to help destroy harmful pathogens. But in doing so, they also increase your risk of dehydration, especially if you’re sweating, experiencing chills, or too fatigued to eat and drink as usual.

That’s where soup comes in. “The main benefit of soup when we are sick with a fever is that it encourages us to keep drinking,” says Russell de Souza, ScD, RD, a registered dietitian and nutritional epidemiologist based in Ontario, Canada. “When we have a fever, we often sweat, so our bodies lose fluids. Staying hydrated keeps us replenishing those fluids and soup gets the job done.”

Soup is hydrating, warming, and easy to digest, making it an ideal comfort food when your appetite is low or your throat feels sore. Many soups also include ingredients with immune-supporting and anti-inflammatory properties, which can gently help your body do what it’s already trying to do: heal.

Chicken Soup: More Than a Comfort Food

Chicken soup has earned its status as a time-honored remedy for fevers, colds, and general malaise and research suggests it’s more than just a placebo. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the steam from hot broth can help open nasal passages and reduce congestion, while the extra fluids help thin mucus, making it easier to expel.

Chicken itself offers protein to support tissue repair, while classic add-ins like garlic, onion, carrots, and celery are rich in antioxidants and vitamins that may help bolster your immune response.

And while it won’t lower your temperature like ibuprofen might, chicken soup can offer modest anti-inflammatory benefits, easing symptoms like sore throat or body aches, according to Mayo Clinic insights.

Vegetable Soup: A Plant-Powered Ally

If you’re vegetarian or just craving something lighter vegetable-based soups are also excellent options. Many traditional ingredients in veggie soup, including carrots, peas, beans, spinach, and mushrooms, have immune-supportive compounds and antiviral properties, per the Cleveland Clinic.

These whole foods offer important nutrients like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and zinc, which are known to play roles in immune function. And when simmered into a warm broth, they become easy to consume and digest even when your energy is low.

Tips for Making a Fever-Fighting Soup

• Stick to clear broths or light purees that are easy on the stomach

• Add herbs like thyme, turmeric, or ginger for anti-inflammatory effects

• Use whole ingredients chicken, legumes, leafy greens for nutrient density

• Avoid excess salt if you’re prone to dehydration or blood pressure issues

• Serve it warm, not scalding, to avoid irritating a sore throat

Hydration Is Key

Ultimately, the biggest benefit of soup when you have a fever is hydration. The CDC recommends clear liquids like broth and herbal teas to help recover from both the flu and common cold, especially when fevers are present. And since appetite often disappears during illness, soup is a smart way to sneak in both fluids and nutrients your body needs to fight back.

There’s no such thing as a “fever food,” but when it comes to comfort, hydration, and healing support, soup is as close as it gets.

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