Here is a 1985 Cecil column on Vitamin C and colds.
What is the most recent information on vitamin c and preventing colds?
Cecil also wrote this 1978 column on the same subject.
I put this in GQ rather than COCC since the columns were so old.
Sigh.
Gfactor’s links basically say “no”, it hasn’t been shown to help. It won’t harm you, but it probably doesn’t help too much.
When Linus Pauling first came out with the theory that Vit C prevented colds, I said, “what the hell, why not try it?”
I normally take about 200 mg/day, but now and then when begin to get sniffles, or scratchy throat, load up to 1000 mg for two or three days. I have not had a cold in more than 40 years.
I don’t care whether it is physiological or psychological, for me it works. Cheap insurance. I did have flu twice during that period, but nobody every claimed it work for that.
I would like to see the actual study. The articles hint that it actually does work for people under physical stress.
I posted it before. Here it is again: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020168&ct=1
Oh thanks. The one link of the 4 I didn’t click…
This doesn’t mean squat unless you stop taking any for the next 40 years and see how many colds you have in that period.
Which would still be irrelevant because the periods of time are not identical, nor is the KlondikeGeoff of the next 40 years the same as the one of the last 40 years.
There are some studies that say moderate doses of Vit C sometimes reduce the length and severity of symptoms, in some dudes.
It can’t hurt to take a moderate dose of it.