Vitamin C for Common Cold

Vitamin C is one of water soluble vitamins essential for promoting vital body functions. According to the Food and Drug Administration, RDA for Vitamin C in normal adults is about 60-70mg per day. This amount of Vitamin C can be richly found in citrus fruits.

Vitamin C is related to plethora of health conditions and is believed to be the center of various health claims. Researches and studies have proven the benefits of Vitamin C for preventing and treating common cold. The common cold, caused by a rhinovirus, is the most frequent illness that majority of the people are suffering from. Some of the cold symptoms include nausea, cough and headache.

Vitamin C and colds have long been linked to each other through various researches, studies and clinical trials. Vitamin C, colds and researchers are moving with rotating wheel of health and wellness since ages.

In 1970, Dr Linus Pauling, the American Nobel laureate came up with a conclusion that Vitamin C in high doses not only halves the incidence but also reduces the severity of common cold. Pauling came to the conclusion after researching on a single trial with a placebo as control. This trial was conducted on school children in Swiss Alps when they were out on a skiing camp.

The conclusion was controversial and later two reviewers from the National Center for Epidemiology and Population Health in Canberra, Australia, worked on randomized and non-randomized trials of vitamin C and found that taking a high dose for prolonged period does not prevent cold but reduces the duration and severity of common cold.

In July 2007, a similar research was conducted to learn the benefits of Vitamin C for colds. The research was done with a very high dose of about 2000mg. After 60 years of clinical research, it was found that this vitamin definitely affects the condition of cold but not in preventing or treating common cold but reducing the duration slightly by almost 8% in adults and by 14% in children.

Vitamin C and the common cold are linked only by means of reducing the severity and duration of cold, not preventing and treating cold. Hence, if you are suffering from severe cold and cough, don't rely on the sources of Vitamin C, rather consult a good doctor and seek medical advice for relief.