Is mulligatawny soup good for a cold? Also, jello?!

I looked online and some places say it is because the spices clear up congestion. On the other hand, I know that it has dairy in it. What I want is a consensus on whether the benefits of the spice and warmth of the soup outweigh the con of it having dairy in it. Also, I have jello cups with pineapple in them. At first I thought that was good because the pineapple is healthy, but now I'm worried about the sugar in the jello. All personal experience appreciated. Thanks!