Attention Parents: Fever Is Not a Disease... Old but Completely Wrong Methods: Don't Do These
Causes of Fever: Fever is not, in itself, a disease — it is a symptom. As a defense mechanism, it helps the body cope with infections. For this reason, unless the fever rises very high, it doesn't need to be fought with every available means; the real goal is rather to fight the causes of the fever — usually microorganisms that have entered the body — and ultimately eliminate them. What's needed here is a diet that covers as broad a range as possible of substances with antibiotic-like effects.
BIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCES EFFECTIVE AGAINST FEVER
Vitamin C: Strengthens the immune system and thereby supports the body in its fight against invading foreign substances. It is found primarily in citrus fruits, red peppers, tomatoes and parsley.
Vitamin E: Stimulates the immune system. This vitamin is found primarily in vegetable oils, whole grain products, pumpkin, asparagus, green cabbage and avocado, but it breaks down significantly when exposed to heat and sunlight.
Phenolic acids: These substances stop the growth of viruses and bacteria in the body. The phenolic acids found in blueberries in particular are very effective.
Caffeic acid: As early as the 1960s, it was suspected that caffeic acid had antibiotic and fever-reducing effects. Unfortunately, however, research in this area was not pursued further. Today, it is known that caffeic acid, together with ferulic acid and carotenoids, does indeed have a strong antibiotic and fever-reducing effect. In nature, this combination of active substances is found predominantly in carrots.
PLENTY OF FLUIDS, LITTLE FOOD
A feverish body needs more fluid intake than usual in order to compensate for the fluid losses caused by sweating. In addition, the immune system works better when it is sufficiently "diluted." Appetite, on the other hand, is reduced by the hypothalamus — part of the diencephalon that also serves as the control center for appetite and fever — so that the body doesn't waste its strength on unnecessary digestive activity.
CHILDREN WITH NO APPETITE
In children, the mechanism of drinking a lot of water and eating little works quite well; febrile illnesses in them are automatically accompanied by loss of appetite. However, many parents ignore these signals; believing — based on an old but entirely mistaken idea — that their sick little ones need to keep up their strength, they try to get them to eat snacks. Recommendations: Only give food to your sick child when they themselves want to eat! Because a child's body knows what it needs during an illness. The most suitable drinks are herbal teas and fruit juices, or mixtures of one part fruit juice to three parts water.