Regular vitamin C does not prevent colds
The idea that the vitamin can prevent and treat a cold became popular following the 1970 publication of Nobel laureate Linus Pauling's book, Vitamin C and the Common Cold. "Pauling's book was very influential. But I'm confident that the general population doesn't stand to gain any great benefit in terms of colds from taking regular doses," says Robert Douglas of the Australian National University in Canberra, who co-authored the review.
Douglas and Harri Hemilä of the University of Helsinki, Finland, considered 55 studies dating from 1940 to 2004. These studies compared the effect of at least 200 milligrams daily versus a placebo.
From 23 studies investigating prevention in the general population, the pair concluded that regular doses of vitamin C do not reduce the risk of a cold. But they found the duration of any cold that did develop was shortened, though "only by about half a day in adults, and slightly more in children", Douglas notes.
Extreme physical stress
However, people suffering extreme physical stress through exertion or freezing temperatures did benefit substantially from taking vitamin C. Studies of skiers, soldiers and marathon runners suggest that regular vitamin C can slash their incidence of colds in half. Pauling was heavily influenced by a ski school study, in particular.
"I don't understand why - but it does seem there is a small subset of people who do seem to have substantial prevention benefit from taking vitamin C, when for the general population it's zilch," Douglas says.
As well as considering the effect of regular daily does, the pair also looked at whether starting to take vitamin C as soon as a symptoms appeared could shorten a cold. They found no evidence that it could, except for in one study which involved a huge 8 gram dose on the first day of symptoms.
"For all except this 8 gram group, the evidence is quite unimpressive that taking largish doses makes any difference at all once a cold has started," says Douglas.
Journal reference: PLoS Medicine (Vol 2(6), p e68)
Read Full Story
Health Headlines
upcoming Events
U.S. Events
congresses
fellowships
-
Aesthetic Medicine Module I
Las Vegas, NV | Dec. 9-10, 2009 -
Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine Modules I, II, III & IX
Las Vegas, NV | Dec. 10-12, 2009 -
Preventative Medicine, Nutrition & Sports Medicine Module I
Las Vegas, NV | Dec. 9-11, 2009 -
Fellowship in Preventative Medicine, Nutrition & Sports Medicine Module III
Las Vegas, NV | Dec. 11-12, 2009
symposium
-
Advanced Hormone Symposium
Chicago, IL | Oct. 8-10, 2010
VIDEO: Brain Age Workshop
Dr. Eric Braverman, Director of The Place for Achieving Total Health
(PATH Medical), Chairs the
Brain Age Workshop taking place Dec. 9, 2009.
Held in conjunction with the Winter Session of the 17th Annual World
Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine & Regenerative Biomedical Technologies.
The Brain Age Workshop features presentations on Brain Mind Assessment
via Neuropsychological Analysis, Movement Deficiency Syndrome,
Hormones and the Brain, Nootropic Drug Mechanisms, and Traumatic Brain
Injury. View this video to learn about Dr. Braverman’s brain-based
model of aging and age modulation.
International Events
- Mexico City | Jan. 15-17, 2010
- Milan | Mar. 18-20, 2010
- Kuala Lumpur | Apr. 29 - May 2, 2010
- Jakarta | May 2010 (pending)
- Bucharest | May 2010 (pending)
- Seoul | May 2010 (pending)
- Melbourne | Aug. 21-22, 2010
- Dubai | Oct. 26-27, 2010
- Bali | October 2010 (pending)
- Mainz-Frankfurt | Nov. 8-10, 2010
- Sao Paulo | Nov. 12-14, 2010
- Shanghai | November 2010 (pending)





