BBC Morning Live's Doctor Xand says simple meal is 'amazing' for colds

The soup can be picked up for cheap at most supermarkets.

BBC Morning Live regular, Doctor Xand Van Tulleken, has said that people don't need to buy cold medicine, and could actually get better relief by picking up a simple meal from supermarket shelves. Many of us have heard that chicken soup can help the common cold, but some people think this is a myth.

As it turns out, there seems to be some substance to the notion. Speaking on the show today (November 19), Dr Xand explained: "We don’t have a treatment for the virus to actually shorten the duration of infection", urging people to stop spending lots of money on over-the-counter remedies.

Stressing that rest and hydration is key, he added that "home remedies are cheap and effective" urging people to try "lemon, ginger and honey" as a warming drink as well as chicken soup which is "amazing".

He continued: "Doctor Oscar has spoken about this on the show as well but there is some evidence that chicken soup is quite good for colds, and of course, chicken soup is generally great if you make it properly". You can pick up chicken soup from any supermarket with the likes of Lidl and Sainsbury's selling a can of the soup for as little as 62p.

Telling TV hosts Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton that you can easily rack up a bill of "£20 to £25 on over-the-counter remedies" he states that "home remedies are cheap and they work just as well if not better". In a previous episode of the same show, Dr Oscar Duke told viewers that eating nutritious foods like chicken soup can help manage cold symptoms. He said: "Chicken soup has also been the subject of considerable research. Studies suggest it may aid in clearing mucus from the respiratory airways. Homemade chicken soup is believed to be more effective than store-bought versions."

If you are looking to make chicken soup from scratch "use broth, not cream, as the foundation of your soup", according to Debbie Krivitsky, director of nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiovascular Center. According to Harvard Health, they further recommend that if you're ill and just need to make a quick meal and hop straight into bed, consider looking for soups with "a low-sodium chicken broth with between 140 and 200 milligrams of sodium per serving", says Krivitsky.