The debate over whether vitamin C helps prevent colds began in 1970 when Linus Pauling published "Vitamin C and the Common Cold." In this book, Pauling claimed that vitamin C helps prevent colds. Although his claim sounded outlandish at the time, many people assumed that he was correct because because Pauling was a Nobel Laureate. The value of vitamin C was extensively researched in the decades that followed publication. Since that time, we better understand the role this vitamin plays in the preventing and treating the common cold.
Benefit
A 2004 article in "Cochrane Review" examined all the research that had been done on vitamin C. The authors looked at the duration of colds and the severity of cold symptoms in 9,676 subjects. They observed that subjects who took vitamin C regularly had shorter colds. Specifically, the duration of colds was reduced by 8 percent for adults and 13.5 percent for children.
Limitations
The authors of the "Cochrane Review" article found that the benefits of taking vitamin C only occurred in people who took vitamin C regularly. People who started taking vitamin C right after experiencing cold symptoms remained ill just as long as people who did not take vitamin C. Further, there was no difference between the severity of the colds suffered by those who took vitamin C and those that didn't.
Special Circumstances
Subjects who suffered from extreme physical stress showed the most benefit when taking vitamin C. The "Cochrane Review" article shows that the incidence of colds dropped 50 percent among marathon runners, skiers and soldiers training in the Arctic who took daily doses ranging from 250 mg to 1 gram.
Sources
The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University reports that oranges, grapefruit, orange juice, grapefruit juice, tomatoes, sweet red peppers and broccoli are good sources of vitamin C. They note that five servings a day of fruits and vegetables should provide most people with approximately 200 mg of this vitamin.
Other Benefits
The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University reports on studies showing other benefits of vitamin C. They point to research studies that show people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C have less heart disease. People who get their vitamin C by taking vitamin supplements had no such benefit. Other data are conflicting as to whether vitamin C prevents lung cancer and breast cancer.
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