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I like soup—winter, spring, summer or fall. And the more I research plant compounds and their effects on human health, the more I am convinced that soups make an ideal “food pharmacy.” With soup, you can combine ingredients that have tremendous potential to ward off, and possibly reverse, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and dozens of other conditions. Every plant—vegetable, fruit, grain or herb—contains a long list of chemical compounds (known as phytochemicals) with properties ranging from anti-aging to immunostimulant to vasodilator. If you’re interested in exploring the chemical compounds of food and their properties yourself, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture database that I am compiling at www.ars-grin.gov/duke.
           
Here are two soups that I cooked up at my Green Farmacy (see sidebar at right), along with one that my friend Susan Belsinger contributed. Try them yourself—I think you’ll find them much tastier than their pharmaceutical counterparts.

Soothe Aching Joints

Every ingredient of this soup works to tame the enzyme known as COX-2, which is associated with the inflammation and pain of arthritis. One of them alone (capsaicin) is nearly as potent as the COX-2 Inhibitor in the controversial arthritis drug Vioxx. And garlic, at last count, contained at least nine different COX-2 Inhibitors.       

Even if you aren’t bothered by arthritis, there’s good reason to add this soup to your menu: Recent research reported in Science News suggests that inhibiting the COX-2 enzyme could delay or prevent some cancers.

Curried Celery Soup

Makes 4 servings

After each ingredient, I’ve listed at least one anti-inflammatory compound. For a complete list of these compounds for each ingredient, visit my Multiple Activities Menu (see “What’s on the Menu?” at right).

4 tablespoons olive oil
8 celery stalks, diced (apigenin and others)
1 medium onion, diced (quercetin and others)
2 garlic cloves, minced (at least 9 different compounds)
2-inch piece gingerroot, peeled and finely diced (gingerol and others)
1 to 2 teaspoons turmeric powder (curcumin and others)
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard (curcumin and others)
1 teaspoon dried oregano OR 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano (at least 8 different compounds)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary OR 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (rosmarinic acid and others)
4 to 6 cups water or vegetable stock 
Hot pepper sauce or powder, to taste (capsaicin and others)
Black pepper, to taste (eugenol and others)