‘Feed a cold, starve a fever’ mantra really works and could slash sepsis deaths, say docs
A new study reveals extra nutrition helps patients recover from viruses, but could make bacteria-induced fevers worse
THE old wives' tale 'feed a cold, starve a fever' really works, scientists say.
Tests on mice showed they were more likely to recover from cold viruses when given food.
But they only survived infection with bacteria - which cause fever - when they stopped eating.
The findings, published in the journal Cell, could have implications for the treatment of serious conditions like sepsis, researchers said.
It kills nearly 40,000 Brits a year.
But feeding patterns in patients may in future depend on whether the blood poisoning bug is caused by bacteria or a virus.
Scientists think some patients made sick by fever-causing bacteria might have more chance of recovering if they are deprived of food, while those struck by viruses like colds may need extra nutrition.
A team at Yale University carried out the study.
They found mice with a fever due to infection by the food poisoning bacterium listeria died when fed sugar.
But the ones given no food eventually recovered.
When they repeated the study with a flu virus they found the opposite effect.
Mice force-fed sugar survived while those denied food died.
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Researcher Professor Ruslan Medzhitov said: "We were surprised at how profound the effects were.
"Our findings show not eating has a strong protective effect with certain infections, but not with others."
Tests showed different areas of the brain were affected depending on which type of infection the mice had.
Prof Medzhitov said changing feeding patterns in deadly sepsis infections, according to whether they are vital or bacterial, could be crucial.
"A number of studies looked at nutrition in sepsis patients and the results were mixed.
"But they didn't segregate patients based on whether their sepsis was bacterial or viral."