Sniffle Solutions

Denise Snyder, a clinical trials manager at Duke University, offers this advice:

Researchers have observed some immune response when patients suffering from a fever eat less. In any case, you likely won’t feel like chowing down anyway -- loss of appetite is your body’s natural defense mechanism to help the immune system focus energy on fighting pathogens. Of course, if you’re hungry, go ahead and eat! And fluids can only help fight a fever.

Feeding a cold is simply a matter of boosting your nutrient levels while the virus runs its course. A cold usually lasts longer than a fever, so you need to eat to help your body do its job. I recommend fruits and vegetable juices, which are chock-full of vitamins and nutrients, along with warm broths. Drinking plenty of fluids also helps keep mucus secretions thinner and alleviates common cold symptoms like coughing.