Open AccessFeed a Cold, Starve a Fever?
Author(s) -
Gijs R. van den Brink,
Daniëlle E.M. van den Boogaardt,
S. J. H. Van Deventer,
Maikel P. Peppelenbosch
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
clinical and vaccine immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.649
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1556-6811
pISSN - 1556-679X
DOI - 10.1128/cdli.9.1.182-183.2002
Subject(s) - biology , immunology , zoology
An English old wives' tale advises us to "feed a cold and starve a fever." Here we report that the nutritional status modulates the T helper 1 (Th1)-Th2 balance of activated T cells in human volunteers. Food intake resulted in increased levels of gamma interferon production, whereas food deprivation stimulated interleukin-4 release.