Research
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. The majority of studies of non-athletic people, when looked at collectively, led researchers to conclude that vitamin C does not prevent or treat the common cold, but highly physically active people training in stressful conditions (e.g. soldiers training in the Arctic) may benefit from supplementation. A recent literature review concluded that vitamin C consumption decreased the duration of cold symptoms, but did not prevent a cold or affect symptom severity.
Claims of vitamin C's efficacy in treating the common cold have been criticized by many researchers. The most-cited reviews of the subject have concluded that there are no beneficial effects beyond a placebo. A review of 72 studies, published in January 2013, found no significant effect of consuming vitamin C supplementation on the incidence of colds. However, the analysis did find that vitamin C may reduce the duration of cold symptoms.
Read more about this topic: Vitamin C And The Common Cold
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