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Chicken soup has a long and venerable tradition as a nutritional healing modality. In the modern era, chicken soup has been used for colds and upper respiratory infections, although its alleged healing properties date back at least to the twelfth century, or possibly even earlier to the classical Greeks.1 Certainly, many individuals remember parents and grandparents who regarded the healing properties of chicken soup with religious conviction, certain that good health would follow ingestion of good soup.2 A cartoon, which I saved from the Wall Street Journal several years ago, shows a little old lady beside a push cart outside a medical arts building; the cart's umbrella reads "if all else fails," and the lady is selling "Mom's chicken soup."
I have been interested and active in the field of nutrition support since A.S.P.E.N.'s first Clinical Congress was held at a Chicago airport hotel during a cold snowy winter in 1978. Several years ago, I came to the realization that often in nutrition support we seem to accept what I now call the "chicken soup paradigm"-- namely, healing through the provision of nutrients.
Healing through nutrition is, of course, an admirable aspiration. However, I think we often approach healing through nutrition support with the same religious conviction folklore has attributed to chicken soup. We seem willing to accept the healing properties of nutrition therapy/chicken soup a priori. Much of our faith comes from faith in food and good nutrition. After all, we provide good nutrition and nutritionally complete formulas. However, I think it is a leap of faith to assume that the meal in a can, bag, or bottle is the same as a varied diet-or has the "intrinsic healing powers" of chicken soup.
FOOD ON THE PLATE VERSUS FOOD IN THE CAN
Is a fixed enteral or parenteral formula the same as the oral intake of food? I think not! This assertion is based on both theoretical considerations and existing scientific data.
We call an enteral or parenteral formula "nutritionally complete" because it contains a complete mix of known "essential" nutrients. But what of all the nonessential nutrients that have major health benefits? Two examples come to mind. Over 600 carotenoids have been identified in...