Should you 'feed a cold and starve a fever'? Find out if the adage is true

I often hear people say that when you're sick, you should "feed a cold and starve a fever.

- Melinda Wenner Moyer

People often repeat this catchy bit of sick-day wisdom. Fuel your body when you have the sniffles, the saying implies, and hold back when your temperature climbs.

But should you really skip dinner when you spike a temperature? There is very little research on how what you eat (or don't eat) affects your body's infection-fighting capabilities. Yet based on what experts do know about biology, they say you can probably ignore this advice.

It's most likely "just an old wives' tale," said Dr David Schneider, chair of the department of family and community medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas.

Still, there are a few food and drink-related guidelines to keep in mind when you're feeling lousy.

One reason to question this advice is that it fundamentally doesn't make sense, said Benjamin Hurrell, an assistant professor of nutrition and immunology at the University of California, Davis.

For instance, he said, it's possible to have a fever and a cold at the same time. When that happens, how might someone feed their cold but starve their fever?