Vitamin C to Combat Colds Reaffirmed

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that protects against free radical cellular damage. Carol S. Johnston, from Arizona State University (Arizona, USA), and colleagues enrolled 28 healthy men, ages 18 to 35 years who did not smoke, in an eight-week long study.  Fifteen subjects consumed a dietary supplement of 1,000 mg of Vitamin C daily; the remaining subjects took a placebo.  Fewer people in the Vitamin C group reported episodes of the common cold, and the duration of the colds was reduced by an average of 50% in the Vitamin C group. Further, in the final two weeks of the trial, the researchers observed a 40% increase in the physical activity score among those taking the supplemental Vitamin C, as compared to the placebo group.  The study authors write that: “These data suggest measurable health advantages associated with vitamin C supplementation in a population with adequate-to-low vitamin C status.”