What should you eat and drink when you are infected with a virus and have a high fever?

With the change in epidemic policies, a large number of people will inevitably be exposed to the virus, infected, and then gradually recover from the end of the year to the Spring Festival. Of course, during the process, some people have mild symptoms, while others suffer more or recover more slowly. In addition to genetic and physical differences, one of the reasons is the different levels of rest, daily nutritional status, and nutritional management during the course of the disease.

There is no effective drug for viral infection, and the body relies on the immune system to fight . However, if the body lacks energy and nutrition, the self-healing ability will decrease and recovery will be slow. It is like a war. No matter how brave the soldiers are, if the logistics are too poor and even ammunition and necessary supplies are not available, it will inevitably affect the battle at the front and it will be difficult to win a complete victory in one go.

When fighting against the virus, it is very important to provide enough energy. As long as you have not lost your appetite, you should eat as much as possible. Don't let your immune system fight on hunger. As long as it is not too greasy, not too sticky, and hygienic, most staple foods, vegetables, meat, eggs, and milk can be eaten normally. People who can eat will recover faster and more thoroughly.

But some infected people said:

But I have a high fever, my body aches so much, I don’t have the energy to eat, I even lost my sense of taste and smell, I really don’t want to eat, I can’t eat…

You have to eat as much as possible to maintain your body's energy supply. Eat whatever you can.

When you have a high fever, the main source of energy should be easily digestible carbohydrates. You can eat protein foods as long as you can eat them, but you cannot only eat fish, meat, and eggs without eating foods containing carbohydrates.

Why carbohydrates? Because it is the energy source that has the least burden on the liver and kidneys, produces the least waste, and rarely increases the body's heat dissipation.

Carbohydrates have the effect of saving protein. If energy and nutrition are not supplied during the infection process, the body's protein will be broken down excessively, causing great damage and slow recovery.

Why is it easy-to-digest food? Because the body is very weak at this time, and the fight with the virus is exhausted, so there is not much energy to spend on processing food. Food digestion requires a large amount of blood supply to support it (students who don’t understand this, please review human physiology), especially the digestion and absorption of protein, which requires the work of the liver. Therefore, food that is easy to digest and absorb is what is most needed at this time.

When you can't eat solid food, you can drink hot porridge (rice porridge, millet porridge, oatmeal porridge, etc.), soft noodles, soups, fruit and vegetable juices, etc. Yam paste, mashed potatoes, and grain flour are all OK.

You can add MSG (chicken soup, broth, chicken powder) and a small amount of salt, as well as fennel powder, basil powder and other spices you like to porridge, noodle soup and paste. A small amount of salt can replenish electrolytes. Or add some chopped mustard tuber, which is also very good. Adding some chopped green leaves is even better.

As for the specific spices you add, just add them according to your own taste. If they suit your body's needs, the body will be happy to accept them.

When drinking various liquid and semi-liquid foods and supplementing vitamin C, don't forget to take a tablet of complex B vitamins. When drinking a lot of water and soup and urinating a lot, the body will lose a lot of water-soluble vitamins and they are easily depleted.

Here are a few more frequently asked questions that we will answer together.

A netizen asked: I heard that drinking honey water is good for you when you have a fever?

If no one makes soup or porridge for you, and you don't have the energy to cook, then drinking honey water is indeed a reasonable choice. Honey water contains small molecule sugars such as glucose and fructose, which can be absorbed and utilized without the labor of the stomach.

Adding vitamin C, fruit juice, vegetable juice, etc. to honey water can not only supplement calories, but also increase the supply of antioxidants, which is better than pure honey water. You can also add some shredded ginger, which is very rich in antioxidants, promotes digestion and improves circulation.

A netizen asked: When you have a fever, can you eat soup and porridge with MSG? Is it harmless?

At this time, there is no need to worry about adding MSG to porridge or soup.

Generally speaking, when nutritional consumption is high, intestinal function is easily damaged, and appetite and digestive ability will decrease .

The only ingredient of MSG is monosodium glutamate, an amino acid that can both supply nitrogen (the body is in a negative nitrogen balance when you have a fever) and increase the nutrient supply to intestinal cells.

Another amino acid, glutamine (Gln), is better and more professional in protecting the intestines. But if you don't have Gln at home, adding some monosodium glutamate (Glu) is also a harmless measure. In addition, sodium is an essential element for the human body. When eating normally, we are afraid of too much sodium; when we have a fever and can't eat and only drink water, we are afraid of too little sodium. The sodium contained in monosodium glutamate is a healthy ingredient at this time.

A netizen asked: Can the internet-famous canned yellow peaches be eaten?

During the fever, as long as you can eat, you can eat not only canned yellow peaches, but also canned oranges, canned pears, canned bayberries, canned kiwis, and even the fermented glutinous rice fruit soup cooked by my family, the hawthorn, apple and jujube soup in my cookbook... all kinds of fruits cooked in sugar water can be eaten. They play the role of replenishing carbohydrates and stimulating appetite, and more or less add some antioxidants and dietary fiber than sugar water. If you believe that it can cure diseases, you are overthinking...

A netizen asked: Can Tremella and Lily Soup be eaten?

Yes. Because it contains sugar, it can add energy to the body. At the same time, because it contains Tremella and lily, it can also provide some ingredients that are beneficial to the intestinal flora. This soup has a smooth texture and is more comfortable to eat when you have a sore throat, so it is a food suitable for respiratory viral infections. However, don't expect that drinking two bowls of this "medicinal food" will quickly relieve symptoms such as sore throat, cough and runny nose.

A netizen asked: Can diabetics also drink porridge and honey water?

If you can drink oatmeal porridge, it is better, because it has higher nutritional value than white porridge. But if you have a high fever and can't eat anything, or if no one makes oatmeal porridge for you, you don't have to consider issues such as the glycemic index. Even honey water is fine for diabetics with fever as long as they drink it in small amounts and multiple times. When you can't eat, you need to worry more about problems such as hypoglycemia and ketosis.

By the way, adding a little vinegar or lemon juice to sugar water can help slow down the rate of blood sugar rise after drinking. Various organic acids have this effect.

Some people also asked: Can I drink cola? Can I drink various fruit juices and coconut milk? Can I drink ice cream?

If you can't eat regular meals and are half-starved every day, it's okay to drink sweet drinks and fruit juices.

If you can still eat ice cream when you have a fever of 39 degrees and your throat doesn't hurt as much when you eat it, then eat it without worrying too much.

After you have fully recovered, remember to stay away from sweet drinks . Just because you can replenish your energy when you have a fever, you can't assume that drinking it at other times will also be good for you.

Someone asked: I heard that "egg soup" can relieve sore throat, can I drink it?

This is a folk recipe for diet therapy. Just boil an egg with boiling water, add half a spoon of sesame oil, and drink the half-cooked egg drop soup. It can be drunk when you are infected with a virus. The uncooked egg white contains active ingredients such as ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, ovomucin, lysozyme, and cysteine ​​protease inhibitors, which have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.

It should be noted that the temperature of the egg rinse cannot fully kill pathogens such as salmonella that may be contaminated on the surface of the egg. Therefore , before making it, be sure to wash the surface of the egg and your hands. It is safer to buy branded eggs that have been surface sterilized .

Someone asked: What foods should we avoid?

In fact, your body is smart. When an acute infectious disease occurs, it will know what is suitable to eat and what is not. When you have a fever, sore throat, or cough, you naturally don't want to eat fried food, smoked food, overly dry and hard fried food, overly sticky food, and overly spicy food. Don't eat foods that you may be allergic or intolerant to in your daily life.

In short, if you feel comfortable, refreshed and happy after eating, continue to eat it. If you feel uncomfortable, don't eat it .

Finally, in addition to ensuring energy and nutrition, you must rest well during the illness and never continue to work hard. Dragging a sick body to work, or running around the hospital for your family, will be very detrimental to recovery. After the test turns negative, you may find that your body is in a state of fatigue and discomfort for a long time. This is not necessarily a "sequelae", but more likely the result of the body being owed and not repaired in time.

I wish all friends who have been infected with the virus a smooth course of the disease and a speedy recovery of their former strength and energy!

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