With 62 million cases of the common cold occurring each year, chances are that you will catch at least one. Home remedies for the common cold include everything from chicken soup to high doses of herbs and vitamins, but doctors hold varying opinions as to whether these treatments are safe or effective. Before taking any supplement, including vitamin C, check with your doctor, especially if you currently have any health problems or if you take any prescription or over-the-counter medications.
The Common Cold
The common cold is caused by one of many viruses that circulate throughout the year, but especially during the colder winter months. The reason for this is probably that people tend to spend more time indoors and in close quarters, which leads to a fertile breeding ground for the viruses. The virus spreads when an infected person sneezes, coughs or otherwise spreads moist secretions into the air or on commonly touched surfaces. The telltale signs that you have caught a cold include a scratchy throat, a stuffy or runny nose, a cough, a headache and possibly a fever.
Does Vitamin C Help?
While vitamin C can boost your immunity, chances are that it can not single-handedly prevent the common cold. What it can do, explains MayoClinic.com, is shorten the duration of and lessen the severity of its symptoms. Taking mega doses of the vitamin when symptoms start won't help, but if you take vitamin C regularly as part of your daily vitamin regimen, you might suffer less when you do acquire a cold.
Other Methods of Prevention
The best way to treat a cold is to prevent it in the first place. Eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep and exercise daily to keep your immune system in good shape. Washing your hands frequently and avoiding close contact with those who are sick may prevent illness. If you do end up catching a cold, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough, then throw the tissue away and wash your hands to avoid spreading your illness to others.
Warnings
Do not take more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C without the advice and supervision of your physician. Depending on your sex and whether you smoke, you should take between 75 and 125 mg daily. Extremely high doses of vitamin C, over 2,000 mg daily in adults, may lead to health problems, most notably kidney stones, says the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Vitamin C: Can It Prevent Colds?; April 24, 2010
- EurekAlert; Preventing Colds: Washing Your Hands Is More Effective Than Taking Vitamins; Hilda Bastian; October 8, 2008
- PubMed Health; Common Cold; February 17, 2011
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon, Ph.D; January 2006
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Common Cold; February 11, 2011
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