Feed Them Both, and Give Them Water Too

Question: Is it “Feed a cold and starve a fever,” or vice versa?

Answer: Neither, actually, according to Dr. Jack Gwaltney of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. The idea of depriving any sick person of food is “totally off the wall,” Gwaltney said. A sick patient should receive a steady, nutritious diet no matter the illness.

Rest and drinking plenty of fluids are particularly important, he added. The more rest a person gets, the more energy the body has to fight the infection.