If you’re here, then you probably Google’d: vitamin c good for colds. We will do our best to answer this and many other similar questions in this article which should ease your mind regarding this subject.
What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C also assists in the formation of collagen and helps the body absorb iron. Vitamin C is found naturally in vegetables and fruits, especially oranges and other citrus fruits.
Does Vitamin C Have Any Effect On The Common Cold?
He published a book about cold prevention using megadoses of vitamin C, or up to 18,000 mg daily.
But in the following few decades, multiple randomized controlled studies examined whether the vitamin had any effect on the common cold. The results have been fairly disappointing. An analysis of 29 studies including 11,306 participants concluded that supplementing with 200 mg or more of vitamin C did not reduce the risk of catching a cold However, regular vitamin C supplements had several benefits, including: Reduced cold severity : They reduced the symptoms of a cold, making it less severe. Reduced cold duration: Supplements decreased recovery time by 8% in adults and 14% in children, on average. A supplemental dose of 1–2 grams was enough to shorten the duration of a cold by 18% in children, on average Other studies in adults have found 6–8 grams per day to be effective Vitamin C appears to have even stronger effects in people who are under intense physical stress. Summary Although vitamin C supplements have no effect on the risk of catching a cold, they appear to reduce its severity and duration.
How Does Vitamin C Reduce The Severity Of Colds?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals, keeping skin and various tissues tough but flexible. For this reason, getting enough vitamin C during an infection is a good idea. Summary Vitamin C is essential for the proper functioning of immune cells.
Other Nutrients and Foods That May Help There is no cure for the common cold. However, some foods and nutrients can help the body recover. Few of these are scientifically proven to work, but some are backed by evidence.
: These are antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. Studies suggest that flavonoid supplements may reduce the risk of infections in the lungs, throat and nose by 33%, on average Garlic: This common spice contains some antimicrobial compounds that may help fight respiratory infections.
These include flavonoids and garlic.
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Objectives: The Objective Of This Review Was To Answer The Following Two Questions: (1) Does Regular High Dosage Supplementation With Vitamin C Reduce The Incidence Of Colds?
Search strategy: This review currently deals only with published trials from two previously published reviews by Kleijnen 1989 and Hemila 1992. Selection criteria: Randomised and non-randomised trials of vitamin C taken to prevent or treat the common cold. Data collection and analysis: Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed trial quality.
Vitamin C in doses as high as one gram daily for several winter months, had no consistent beneficial effect on incidence of the common cold. For both preventive and therapeutic trials, there was a consistently beneficial but generally modest therapeutic effect on duration of cold symptoms. However in trials that tested vitamin C after cold symptoms occurred, there was some evidence that a large dose produced greater benefits than lower doses.