We all know what having a cold feels like. Our throat is sore, we feel weak, and we experience all kinds of aches and pains. Our first reaction is to take more vitamin C to ease the symptoms. However, we rarely stop to consider if that is truly effective.
Keep reading to find out whether vitamin C can really help treat a cold.
What is Vitamin C
Vitamin C has an important role in keeping you strong and healthy. It’s a powerful antioxidant in charge of producing collagen in your skin. Additionally, it helps maintain healthy blood vessels, bones, and muscles.
The best way to ingest it is through a variety of fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits, such as lemon and oranges, contain high levels of vitamin C.
Can It Help You Treat a Cold
One of the most important scientists claiming that vitamin C can actually treat a cold was Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling in the 1970s. Ever since, scientists have tried to find evidence that supports this theory.
A recent comprehensive analysis of 29 studies that followed over 11,000 participants showed that taking 200mg of vitamin C or more does not prevent the common cold. Moreover, vitamin C did not even ease the symptoms of a cold in some cases.
It’s fair to say that there’s no reliable evidence that vitamin C does directly help treat a cold. What it can do, however, is strengthen your immune system in general, thereby reducing the risk of infection. Some people, however, have reported that large amounts of vitamin C did speed up the process of treating colds.
Final Thoughts
Whether vitamin C can really help treat a cold is still a topic for research. This doesn’t mean that you should stop taking it. Vitamin C is essential for your general health and may ease the symptoms of numerous illnesses.
