FEED A COLD, STARVE A FEVER?

Back when you were a kid and got sick, your parents most likely followed Grandma’s advice to “feed a cold, starve a fever.” If you had a cold, that was great because it meant an extra PBJ sandwich and a chocolate milkshake. If you had a fever, it was terrible since you had to sit there and watch little brother enjoy the PBJ and shake that you wanted.

The advice to “feed a cold, starve a fever” wasn’t invented by Grandma. It goes back hundreds of years. According to Scientific American, “this saying has been traced to a 1574 dictionary by John Withals, which noted that ‘fasting is a great remedy of fever.’ The belief is that eating food may help the body generate warmth during a ‘cold’ and that avoiding food may help it cool down when overheated.”

A report from CNN agreed: “If someone had a cold, the belief went, his or her body became literally colder, according to old wives’ tales. Therefore, to ‘warm up’ someone ill with a cold, food was given. Conversely, if someone was burning with fever, not eating was believed to ‘cool’ the patient down.”

However, little evidence has been produced to show that starving a patient helps cure anything. Dr. Jon S. Abramson, of the Wake Forest Medical School, said he has found no medical evidence to support feeding a cold and

“Should starving a fever. “When we are sick, whether we have a fever or not, our metabolic rates skyrocket, and our bodies need more calories to support that high metabolic rate,” he told CNN. “The hotter a fever becomes, the more energy the body uses, and not replenishing this energy with sugar and electrolytes is extremely dangerous, especially for children, who have less reserved energy than adults.”

“Always feed both colds and fevers,” Abramson says. “Patients should eat chicken soup, juice, anything with calories.” Most importantly, drink lots of liquids, he says. “Dehydration is our key concern when dealing with sicknesses, especially in children, and especially with fevers.”

Dr. Peter Richel, chief of pediatrics at Northern Westchester Hospital in New York State, agrees that we should ignore the old “feed a cold, starve a fever” advice. “What your body needs most when you’re ill is hydration, but there’s no reason to deprive yourself of solids if you have an appetite. If you’re in the mood to eat, even if your temperature is soaring, go for it. Don’t feel hungry when you have a cold? Focus on getting plenty of fluids and you’ll be just fine.” http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/16/health/feed-a-cold-starve-a-fever/

Next time you feel a sneeze coming on, run out and grab a PBJ and chocolate shake.

“Starve a Cold, Feed a Fever?” Cold, Flu & Cough Health Center, reviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD, WebMD, January 20, 2015, http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/starve-cold-feed-fever

“The Truth Behind Mom’s Cold and Flu Advice,” Cold, Flu & Cough Health Center, by Barbara Brody, reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS, WebMD http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/the-truth-behind-moms-cold-and-flu-advice

“Fact or Fiction?: Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever,” by Mark Fischetti, senior editor, Scientific American, January 3, 2014, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-feed-a-cold/

“Should you feed a cold and starve a fever? Study investigates,” by Honor Whiteman, MNT, MediLexicon International Limited, September 8, 2016, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312760.php