Warnings
Duct contains the antioxidant ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and the mineral zinc. It’s used as a dietary supplement to provide vitamins and minerals that your body doesn’t take in through foods alone. Vitamin C and zinc play important roles in providing adequate nutrition and immune defense.
This supplement may be given to prevent or treat certain deficiencies caused by poor nutrition, different diseases, medications, or pregnancy. Vitamin C plus zinc is typically sold as an over-the-counter (OTC) produc.
Protection Against Colds
Vitamin C may reduce the length and severity of a cold, but it doesn’t appear to prevent colds in most people, according to the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health.
For these groups, taking 250 milligrams of vitamin C daily may reduce the chance of catching a cold by 50 percent, reports the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements. Studies show that using zinc lozenges within 24 hours of catching a cold can reduce the length and severity of cold symptoms.
Eye Disease Protection
In one study reported by the Office of Dietary Supplements, high intakes of zinc and antioxidants, including vitamin C, reduced the risk of AMD in elderly people.
In another study, taking zinc alone significantly reduced the risk of developing AMD in high-risk subjects, but not in other people. Additionally, studies show high intakes of vitamin C may protect against cataracts, although the ODS notes this association needs further study. Wound Healing
Vitamin C is needed for the body to form collagen, part of the skin’s connective tissue that plays a vital role in the healing of wounds, such as cuts.
People with skin ulcers are often deficient in zinc, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Additionally, insufficient vitamin C can lead to scurvy, a disease that causes connective tissue weakness and gum bleeding.
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Intake of both is often inadequate, even in affluent populations.
After an overview of the literature on the effects of the separate administration of either vitamin C or zinc against the common cold, this article presents data from two preliminary, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials, conducted with a combination of 1000 mg vitamin C plus 10 mg zinc in patients with the common cold. Furthermore, symptom relief was quicker and the product was well tolerated. In view of the burden associated with the common cold, supplementation with vitamin C plus zinc may represent an efficacious measure, with a good safety profile, against this infectious viral diseas.