Can you drink milk when you have a fever?
Disease description:
My husband has had a fever recently, and I wanted to cook some warm milk for him to help replenish his nutrients. However, my mother-in-law said that drinking milk is not advisable when having a fever. Is this true? Why? He currently has a poor appetite, and besides milk, I don't know what else to give him for nutritional support. Do you have any good suggestions?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Fever refers to an elevated body temperature. Generally, if a febrile patient has relatively good gastrointestinal function, drinking milk in moderation may be appropriate; however, if the patient has poor gastrointestinal function, milk consumption may not be advisable. The analysis is as follows:
During fever, the body's digestive function tends to decline. Milk, being rich in protein—a large molecular substance—requires more energy and time for digestion and absorption compared to bland, easily digestible foods like congee, potentially increasing the burden on the gastrointestinal system. However, milk contains abundant nutrients such as protein and calcium. When consumed in moderation and well tolerated by the gastrointestinal tract, it can provide essential energy and nutrients, aiding recovery. Thus, it is not absolutely contraindicated.
If a febrile patient has good gastrointestinal function without symptoms such as abdominal distension, nausea, or vomiting, warm milk can be consumed in small amounts multiple times throughout the day. This approach provides necessary nutrition while minimizing gastrointestinal strain.
For patients with inherently weak gastrointestinal function or those experiencing symptoms of indigestion, it is advisable to avoid milk initially. Instead, easily digestible liquid foods such as millet porridge or pumpkin porridge may be chosen, complemented by steamed egg custard and vegetable soup to ensure balanced nutrition. Milk intake can be gradually increased once body temperature returns to normal and gastrointestinal function improves.
Diet during fever should primarily consist of easily digestible, nutritionally balanced foods, avoiding overly greasy or hard-to-digest items to reduce the burden on the digestive system and promote rapid recovery.
