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Judith Proctor ([personal profile] watervole) wrote2010-11-20 03:52 pm
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Feed a Cold and Starve a Fever

Down with the lurgi again, though at least it's only a cold rather than flu.

Nose streaming, eyes watering.

One contrast I'm noticing with the flu is that I really didn't want to eat much when I had flu, whereas with the cold I still feel grotty, but I want to eat.  I wonder if there's any truth in the old adage about 'Feed a cold and starve a fever' and if there is, what the biological reason for it is.
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[identity profile] coth.livejournal.com 2010-11-20 05:38 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know about feeding a cold and starving a fever, but I've recently found out what people mean when they say they feel sick to their stomach about something - having felt that way for the first time in my life.

[identity profile] vjezkova.livejournal.com 2010-11-20 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Sorry to hear this. How unpleasant! At least it is not flu. Ginger tea with lemon and honey might make feel you better.

[identity profile] gair.livejournal.com 2010-11-22 09:33 am (UTC)(link)
People tell me that 'feed a cold, starve a fever' actually means that if you feed a cold, you will get a fever and starve (ie die). Which annoys me, because I always get very hungry with a cold and very anti-food with a fever, too.
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[identity profile] watervole.livejournal.com 2010-11-22 10:10 am (UTC)(link)
I'd never heard that interpretation of it before. (and don't believe it)

I suspect it's more likely that the heat of a fever interferes with digestion, or some other logical explanation.
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