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Fever and Insulin Sensitivity: Should you force a feverish child to eat?

Posted By Jennifer Shipp | Aug 05, 2026

DISCLAIMER: CONSULT WITH A DOCTOR BEFORE DECIDING ON A TREATMENT PLAN FOR ANY DISEASE.

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Insulin Sensitivity and Brown Fat Activation

During a fever, insulin sensitivity decreases significantly. In other words, the body becomes more insulin-resistant during a fever. Cellular membranes stop interacting with insulin to admit glucose and other nutrients into the cell. This is an important thing to consider because it impacts how you approach administration of food and water in children (or adults) who are refusing to eat or drink. 

When you’re fighting an infection, the body releases stress hormones like cortisol. This raises blood sugar levels to provide energy to fight the infection. As a result, people who are sick tend to have higher-than-usual blood sugar levels and a need for more insulin even though food intake has been reduced. This is part of the logic behind the French tradition of giving children small doses of red wine during a fever. In small doses, alcohol behaves similarly to insulin in the body, lowering blood sugar levels and promoting cellular access to glucose. 

Microdosing with Red Wine as a Treatment for Fever



Very small doses of red wine can be used during a fever to help the cells in the body to gain access to nutrients while simultaneously providing trace amounts of iron, copper, and zinc. Moderate or large doses of red wine will be counter productive. Microdosing with red wine (for both children and adults who have a fever) does three things:

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  1. It provides nutrients to cells at a time when the body is under stress. Cells are still able to receive small doses of nutrients and sugars despite insulin resistance that develops during a fever.
  2. The body receives trace amounts of very specific nutrients, namely iron, copper, and zinc, to ensure the continued production of red blood cells and to prevent damage due to the sequestration of iron as a result of infection.
  3. Red wine is often palatable to children who are refusing to eat or drink during an illness. Thus, when combined with a bit of water, the red wine can provide much-needed hydration during an illness.


In diabetics brown adipose tissue activation using cold-water exposure can be used to improve blood sugar balance and insulin sensitivity in humans. In children with a fever, cold water baths can also be used to activate brown fat and to also improve blood sugar balance and insulin sensitivity during acute infection.

When administering red wine for fevers, give babies just 5-10 drops of red wine in their formula. Children over 1 year of age can be given ½ to 1 teaspoon of red wine 4 to 6 times per day to reduce a fever, encourage hydration, and provide nutrients that can be life-saving during a serious disease-process. Add stevia and water to the wine to make it more palatable to children.

Adults can drink 1 tablespoon of red wine 4 to 6 times per day during a fever.

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Pueraria lobata / Gegen: Herbal Remedy for for Fevers in Children and Adults

Though red wine is a fever treatment that’s available in most areas of the world to address severe underlying infection processes that can go seriously awry, Pueraria lobata is another fever treatment that functions similarly to red wine. Like red wine, Pueraria lobata acts like insulin in the body and it can trick cells into admitting nutrients like glucose that give the cells energy during illness.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Pueraria lobata is known as Gegen. In English, this herb is also known colloquially as Kudzu. Pueraria lobata does many things. It has been used to treat all of the following:

  • Fever 
  • Thirst (it acts as a diuretic)
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Various types of paralysis
  • Pain relief
  • Sweating
  • Penetrating rashes
  • Depression
  • Alcoholism
  • Invigorates the meridians (helps to energize the body)
Kudzu can be made into a warm drink called “kudzu-yu” using kudzu starch and hot water plus various ingredients.

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Resources Kou, B. et al. (2025). Unveiling the power of Pueraria lobata: a comprehensive exploration of its medicinal and edible potentials. Retrieved April 13, 2026 from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1578472/full

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