Table of contents:
- 1. Eat lots of fresh fruit
- 2. Eat foods that contain probiotics
- 3. Eat protein sources
- 4. Fluids are needed to reduce fever
Did you know that when you have a fever, your body burns calories and loses more fluids? Therefore, you are advised to eat and drink more when you have a fever, so that you recover faster.
Maintain fluid and ion balance, can prevent dehydration which can weaken the immune system. The food you eat will produce the energy needed to strengthen the immune system.
Then, what foods and drinks should be consumed to reduce fever faster?
1. Eat lots of fresh fruit
Apart from containing lots of fluids, fruits, such as oranges, strawberries, watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, and cantaloupe, also contain many nutrients that the body needs during a fever. Choose fruits that are rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene (vitamin A). These nutrients contain antioxidants that can strengthen the immune system to fight disease.
Fruits also contain lots of ions which are necessary for the body during a fever. One example is a banana which contains potassium. Potassium is one of the ions that is lost through sweat during a fever.
2. Eat foods that contain probiotics
Probiotic foods are one of the foods that can reduce fever. Probiotics are good bacteria that can maintain the balance of bacteria in the gut. This then can strengthen your immune system.
Reporting from Livestrong, a study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that regular consumption of probiotic foods, which contain beneficial live bacteria, can reduce fever in children. Some examples of foods that contain probiotics are yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut (pickled cabbage), and tempeh.
3. Eat protein sources
Protein is also one of the nutrients the body needs during a fever. Protein can supply energy to help the body's immune fight infection. So, eating lots of protein source foods when you have a fever can help speed up recovery. Of course, you can easily find protein sources, such as chicken, meat, fish, tofu, tempeh, milk, eggs, cheese, and others.
4. Fluids are needed to reduce fever
A fever makes your body temperature rise, so you may sweat more than usual. Fever also increases insensible water loss aka continuous but unconscious fluid loss, from the skin (evaporation), lungs (respiration), and metabolism.
This makes the body lose a lot of fluids and ions, so that the risk of becoming dehydrated increases. If dehydration occurs, the fever can get worse.
For that, you are advised to consume lots of fluids during a fever to avoid dehydration. Consuming plenty of fluids can help keep your body hydrated during a fever, which can also speed up recovery. Drinking lots of fluids when you have a fever can also help you stay comfortable, even when your body temperature rises.
However, what is important to note is not only the amount of liquid consumed but also the type of drink chosen. When you have a fever, the body not only loses fluids but also ions in the body which are lost due to sweating when the body has a fever.
To restore the lost ions you can consume drinks that contain ions, so that the ion balance in your body is maintained. Maintaining hydration and ion balance in the body can help the immune system fight disease.
