AimeeLeeStudios / Getty Images

Should You Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever?

These nutrients may support the immune system.

Foods to eat to help you recover from a cold include:

What is the BRAT diet?

Bowl of chicken soup on a wooden table.

AimeeLeeStudios / Getty Images

If your illness causes nausea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, try eating bland foods.

Summary

The saying feed a cold, starve a fever is only half true.

You should eat a nutrient-rich, balanced diet whether you have a fever or cold.

See a healthcare provider if your symptoms or fever persist or worsen.

Scientific American.Fact or fiction?

Feed a cold, starve a fever.

Smith J.A is for aphorisms - feed a fever, starve a cold?

Or could it be starve a fever, feed a cold?.Australian Family Physician.

2015;44(1-2):7778.

2021;110:66-77. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2021.01.069

National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Fever.

American Lung Association.Facts about the common cold.

2018;129(1):13-17. doi:10.1002/lary.27287