Rotten Egg #4 – Vitamin C and the Common Cold
November is probably my least favorite month. The weather is terrible, the clocks fall back (which means it’s dark by 4:30), the only ‘holiday’ is Remembrance day, AND it’s flu season!!!!
Time to indulge in oranges and vitamin C supplements…? Not quite.
To all the vitamin C lovers out there – almost 40 studies have evaluated whether vitamin C can prevent or treat the common cold. Unfortunately, the results are modest…which is a nice way of saying it can’t. On the other hand, marathon runners, cross-country skiers and soldiers training in sub-arctic environments had a slightly greater reduction in cold symptoms. But for us average Joes, supplemental vitamin C cannot be used to prevent or treat common colds.
Vitamin C IS good for you though – it performs a variety of important cell functions such as synthesizing collagen, which holds together the various structures of the body. In addition, it can also increase iron absorption.
Here are some rapid fire Vitamin C facts
Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, papayas, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes, and greens.
Men need 90 mg/day and women need 75 mg/day
Smokers need an additional 35 mg/day.
On average, one orange contains about 70 mg of Vitamin C.
Take away message: please continue to consume this precious vitamin but don’t expect it to cure your cold.
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Image courtesy of LisaFotios
