"Starve a fever, but feed a cold." This saying plagues me every time I take the temperature of one of my girls. I always wonder where I learned it and if it is true. After researching it, I now know that this age-old maxim is not only not true, but that public-health officials have been working for years to debunk it.
The saying dates all the way back to 1574. At least the "starve a fever" part, for no one is sure when the second half was added. I guess maxims are more memorable when they contain pairs of things.
There seems to be no scientific evidence that supports fasting as a cure for a fever. However, when running a fever, it is best not to stress the body by not eating much. Chances are high (sorry for the pun) rich foods will have no real appeal if you're feverish. Stick to simple broths and toast.
If you have a cold there is nothing wrong with eating, but you just might not be able to taste it.
Laura Biagiotti
Hudson
Swildens
I've always heard you're supposed to feed a cold because your appetite is bigger when you're sick with a non-fever. Any time I've ever had a fever, I usually don't really even feel like eating anything, so maybe people back in the day used to think not eating would make you better. I've always had the best luck with drinking lots of hot fluids (like tea and brothy soups), tomato juice, and lots of sleep.
1That's good cuz I always get the saying confused and I never know when to starve when I'm sick.
2Actually the saying goes "Feed a cold, starve a fever." I think this means that IF you feed a cold, THEN you starve a fever!
3When I'm sick I never want to eat anyways...
4I've heard this many times too, never believed it.
5ash-same here.
6Actually you should feed a fever, if anything. Chemical reactions happen faster at higher temperatures, so a fever causes your body to burn more fuel than usual. And the heat itself had to be generated by chemical reactions, all of which are fueled by one source: food. A few days isn't going to drain your body of carbs and nutrients, so you probably don't need to eat much if you don't feel like it. But if you want to change your eating in response to what the fever is doing, eating more calories would be indicated, not less. Just make sure the foods you pick are easily digestible. Your body has better things to do than digest when you are sick.
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