Cold, Flu, & Cough Home Related to Cold, Flu, & Cough Cold & Flu Map Cold & Flu Relief Advisor Vitamin C for the Common Cold At the very first sign of cold symptoms, many people reach for Vitamin C, whether in supplements, juices, cough drops, tea, or other forms. Vitamin C was first touted for the common cold in the 1970s. But despite its widespread use, experts say there's very little proof that vitamin C actually has any effect on the common cold. What Is Vitamin C? Vitamin C is an important vitamin and antioxidant that the body uses to keep you strong and healthy. Vitamin C is used in the maintenance of bones, muscle, and blood vessels. 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. This key vitamin is also available as a natural dietary supplement in the form of vitamin C pills and vitamin C chewable tablets.
Can Vitamin C Prevent or Treat Cold Symptoms? Vitamin C has been studied for many years as a possible treatment for colds, or as a way to help prevent colds. But findings have been inconsistent. Overall, experts have found little to no benefit from vitamin C for preventing or treating the common cold. In a July 2007 study, researchers wanted to discover whether taking 200 milligrams or more of vitamin C daily could reduce the frequency, duration, or severity of a cold. After reviewing 60 years of clinical research, they found that when taken after a cold starts, vitamin C supplements do not make a cold shorter or less severe. When taken daily, vitamin C very slightly shortened cold duration -- by 8% in adults and by 14% in children. So what does all this mean? According to this research, the average adult who suffers with a cold for 12 days a year would still suffer for about 11 days a year if that person took a high dose of vitamin C every day during that year.
For the average child who suffers about 28 days of cold illness a year, taking daily high-dose vitamin C would still likely mean about 24 days of cold illness. When vitamin C was tested for treatment of colds in 7 separate studies, it was found to be no more effective than placebo at shortening the duration of cold symptoms. Is Vitamin C Safe to Take? In general, vitamin C is safe to take when ingested through food sources such as fruits and vegetables. For most people, taking vitamin C supplements in the recommended amounts is also safe. The RDA or recommended daily allowance is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women. High doses of vitamin C (greater than 2000 milligrams per day for adults) may cause kidney stones, nausea, and diarrhea. If you're unsure about taking vitamin C for colds, talk to your health care provider. Subscribe to Newsletter | Vitamin C Dosage for Bacterial Infections Like Strep Throat I am 61 yrs. old and have had strep throat and have been really sick for about a week.
I have been taking 1,000 mg Vitamin C during this period of time to boost my immune system and get to feeling better. Should I continue to take this dosage, as a safe guard, or go back to my Centrum vitamin, which has only 75 mg? I feel that with allergy season now into play and with stresses in my life, the added 1,000 mg vitamin C would be beneficial for me to take. ANSWERHi Gayle,You'll need to take a much higher vitamin C dosage to boost your immune system against bacterial infections like strep throat. The reason why so many studies show that vitamin C doesn't help fight bacterial or viral infections is because they don't use enough.Humans need about 2-4 grams (that's 2,000-4,000 mg) a day just for good health. Most of us cannot get that kind of dosage from food alone, so we need supplementation. When we are sick, we need many more times that amount. The earlier you catch an illness, the less vitamin C you'll need to get better. The reverse is also true. If you wait until you are already quite sick, you'll need a very large amount of vitamin C to get better.
The easiest way to tell exactly how much you need is to do the vitamin C flush. This process requires you to take about 2,500 mg of vitamin C every 15 minutes until your tissues reach saturation. Many people are surprised by just how much their bodies need. It's not uncommon for people who are not showing any signs of illness to need 20,000-30,000 mg (20-30 grams) a day. This is because we are generally quite deficient in this nutrient and the benefits of vitamin C are widespread.You shouldn't be worried about vitamin C side effects as very high dosages are quite safe. It's a water-soluble vitamin, so any excess will simply be excreted through the urine and intestines.Just so you are aware, most vitamin C supplements are made from genetically modified (GMO) corn. If that kind of thing concerns you as much as it does me, check out the supplements I have on my best vitamin C page. There are only a tiny number of supplement companies that are committed to non-GMO ingredients. Wishing you the best of health,MelissaApproach Wellness
Click here to post comments Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. Simply click here to return to Benefits of Vitamin C Questions.Subscribe To This Site Resistant STD Unspecified Urethritis Feb 25, 17 10:22 AMMy Symptoms are: Symptoms started two weeks after unprotected sex: Burning during urination Redness in urethra Month later: Heart palpitations, Chest Read More Vitamin C and teeth enamel Feb 25, 17 10:15 AMHi, A few days ago, I started taking 6000 mg/ day of vitamin C. I divide is in 4 doses, each one dissolved in a glass of water (250 ml). Should I worry Read More Stay well with my ebook No More Colds & Flu. Subscribe to my FREE newsletter:Healthy Naturally Enter Your E-mail Address Enter Your First Name (optional) Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure. I promise to use it only to send you Healthy Naturally.Contrary to popular belief, mega-doses of vitamin C are not the best way to get over a cold. While vitamin C supplementation does support the immune system in some people, once you have a cold, it will not help you get over it faster.
According to a review by Cochrane of 30 randomized trials involving more than 11,000 adults, for the general population, supplementation with vitamin C doesn't reduce the incidence of colds or upper respiratory tract infections in most adults. However, for people under extreme stress, or who don't consume an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables, supplementation does appear to offer some protective benefits, and lower their risk of colds. Regardless, the review found that once cold symptoms show up, taking a therapeutic dose of vitamin C will not affect the duration or severity of the common cold. (Note that companies like Airborne, which sell therapeutic doses of vitamin C, have been successfully sued for false advertising, and no longer use claims that they can prevent or cure common colds.) Since colds are caused by viruses, antibiotics, which fight bacteria, won't help either. Instead, turn to these natural remedies to shorten the length or severity of colds and flu:
Zinc is an essential mineral that plays an important role in immunity. Those who avoid meat, in particular, can be at risk for a zinc deficiency. The recommended daily intake (RDI) is 15 mg/day. Studies show that adequate zinc consumption, or supplementation, not only prevents the onset of colds and flu, but also decrease the duration of them by a day or more, if taken at the onset of symptoms. Zinc is presently believed to be the most effective remedy against the common cold. Some foods that contain zinc are oysters, crab, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, cashews, black beans, and shiitake mushrooms. Black elderberry juice can inhibit the growth of influenza viruses and shorten the duration of symptoms, while enhancing antibody levels against the virus. It helps reduce swelling in the sinuses and reduce congestion. Elderberry can be taken as a liquid, syrup or tincture, as well as a lozenge and in capsule form. Studies have found that fresh ginger effectively fights respiratory viruses.