Food May Be Good Medicine
If you think your child has a cold coming on, make sure she doesn't miss any meals.
The old adage "feed a cold" may be right. More research is needed to confirm results, but in a small study, eating a meal appeared to boost a part of the immune-system response that can help fight colds. In the study, after eating a meal, people produced more gamma interferon, a compound related to the immune response to viruses.
What about starving a fever -- does that work? This study revealed not only that eating a meal may boost the immune-system response to viruses but also that skipping a meal may aid the immune-system response to fever. A skipped meal increased the production of interleukin-4, a compound that helps to fight bacteria, which are responsible for most fevers. However, research into this effect is in the early stages. For now, the best plan for getting and keeping kids healthy is to make sure they eat a balanced diet so that their bodies have the nutrition needed to stay strong. Also, be sure they're drinking plenty of fluids.
