RodrigoPeres.com: Can Vitamin C Prevent or Treat Cold Symptoms or is it a Myth?

Do you feel like this sometimes? r-p-t.co.uk

Can Vitamin C Prevent or Treat Cold Symptoms or is it a Myth?

Colds are the leading cause of doctor's visits and the number one reason for absences from work and school.

Vitamin C was first touted for the common cold in the 1970s but studies started as early as 1747 for scurvy. read here…

Vitamin C is probably one of the most well-known vitamins out there. At the very first sign of cold symptoms, many people reach for a bottle of vitamin C supplement. Do you? Vitamin C is such a widely accepted treatment for the common cold that we seek it out in lots of products such as fortified juices, cough drops, and tea.

In the past 40 years, numerous epidemiological and placebo-controlled trials have examined the effect of vitamin C supplementation on the prevention and treatment of colds. More than 30 clinical trials with over 10,000 participants have examined the effects of taking daily vitamin C in doses up to 2 g/day.

Overall, experts have found little to no benefit in using vitamin C (disapoiting isnt it?) to prevent or treat the common cold. A review of data from a variety of databases found that regular vitamin C consumption may reduce the duration of cold symptoms in both adults and children, but it does not decrease the severity of cold symptoms

In 2010, researchers looked at all the scientific studies and found that taking vitamin C every day did not prevent the number of colds that a person got. In some cases, however, it did lead to a slight improvement in symptoms.

HOWEVER, IF THE VITAMIN C IS STARTED AFTER COLD SYMPTOMS APPEAR, THERE WAS NO BENEFIT SEEN AT ALL.

But highly physically active people training in stressful and extreme conditions such as soldiers training in the Arctic and marathon runners (2-3 gym sessions is not highly-active) may benefit from supplementation. In this group, taking vitamin C on a daily basis cut their risk of catching a cold in half. Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin C read here…

A wise man once said

“Prevention is better than cure”
but do we listen?

Read more about BODY MOT = Physiotherapy and Massage here…

100 miles per hour & 100,000 germs into the air | r-p-t.co.k

So what does all this mean?

I am sure you don’t want to hear this but taking vitamin C every day, you are not likely to have any fewer colds. However, you may have colds that are a day or two shorter and it do not prevent a cold or affect symptom severity.

Do you want to be more disappointed? Read on… Seven (7) separate studies showed that when vitamin C was started after cold symptoms appeared, vitamin C was no more effective than placebo at shortening the duration of cold symptoms.

Is Vitamin C Safe to Take?

In general, vitamin C is safe to take when ingested through food sources such as fruits and vegetables. (Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin C read here…) For most people, taking vitamin C supplements in the recommended amounts is also safe.

Higher doses of vitamin C greater than 2,000 milligrams per day for adults say cause kidney stones, nausea, and diarrhoea.

If you're unsure about taking vitamin C for colds, talk to your health care provider. Your doctor can answer any questions (we all hope so) about vitamin C and colds and about any other dietary supplement that you are taking.

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Check my previous blog about the Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin C and other reasons why you should consume vitamin C rich foods.

Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin C read here…

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