Can you Starve a Fever and Feed a Cold?
by Travis
The folk remedy of starving a fever and feeding a cold may not be medically sound advice. It may serve as a better alternatives than other supposed health yore, such as using leeches to suck out infections.
The reference to this old myth originates from the 1574 book written by John Withals who was mostly known for writing dictionaries. In this book, he writes that “Fasting is a great remedie of feuer.” The feeding a cold part of this remedy must have been an added extension as this was passed from generation.
So does this work? Can a person really starve a fever and feed a cold? Well, it might. Generally, fevers cause a loss of appetite anyway. This is a person’s body trying to use the energy that would have been used to digest the food to fight the fever. A study performed by Dutch scientists at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam found that fasting can help the body fight fever-causing bacteria. However, eating food does help strengthen the immune system. A strong immune system is beneficial before a person is sick, so fasting while sick could help a person get rid of their fever sooner. Once a person gets a cold, eating more probably will not help anymore.
A person should avoid fighting their body’s desire to eat, however. Starvation is generally not sound advice, especially if your body is telling you to eat. Beyond eating, hydration is especially important when a person is sick. There is little evidence to suggest that either method is the next immediate cure to sickness. However, it is important to try to take preventative measures to stop a sickness before it happens.
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