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ZocDoc and Grubhub Find a Soup-er Correlation for Cold and Flu SeasonNEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For many Americans, soup is the ultimate comfort food when the sniffles take hold. A new data analysis from digital health marketplace ZocDoc and the nation's leading online and mobile food ordering company Grubhub suggests the home remedy is still tried and true. The annual wintertime uptick of cold and flu-related doctor appointments has a strong correlation with increased soup delivery orders nationwide. In fact, when ZocDoc saw its largest spikes in cold and flu appointment bookings in 2014 and 2015 (+15 percent on average compared to the weekly average of appointments for the year), Grubhub experienced an average uptick of 22 percent in soup orders as well. During those same time periods, mentions of having a sore throat, being sick or having the flu were also 283 percent more likely to appear in delivery instructions of orders containing soups than orders without. With experts cautioning that peak cold and flu season is still ahead this year, restaurateurs may want to stock their soup selections while those facing seasonal sickness consider their best remedy options. Based on the data, certain soups seem to offer more comfort for cold and flu sufferers. Chicken noodle and chicken rice soup, for example, were among the top 10 soup types ordered during the past two years' cold and flu appointment spikes. Grubhub saw orders of the two soups increase by an average of 30.6 percent and 41.8 percent, respectively. The benefits of soup, and particularly chicken soup, go beyond evoking memories of comfort, according to Dr. Keri Peterson, an internist affiliated with ZocDo: "Scientists have put the age-old remedy of chicken soup to the test in the past and discovered that it does seem to relieve cold and flu symptoms. Chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties and temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus through the nose, helping alleviate congestion. Clear-broth soups also hydrate your body, which is of utmost importance when illness sets in." Here are five other tips from Dr. Peterson for surviving the remainder of the season:
View and download an interactive version of ZocDoc's cold and flu appointment data and Grubhub's soup order data from 2014 and 2015 here. About ZocDoc About Grubhub Media Contact Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160210/332157
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zocdoc-and-grubhub-find-a-soup-er-correlation-for-cold-and-flu-season-300218811.html SOURCE ZocDoc |