Does Vitamin C Prevent Colds
Does Vitamin C Prevent Colds?Vitamin C has long been held as the “cold prevention” vitamin. If we feel a little sick or if the cold season is coming on, we might start taking a vitamin C supplement for keep from getting sick. But does this really work? Where is the evidence about vitamin C and preventing colds?Answer: The theory that vitamin C can help prevent colds comes from the idea that vitamin C gives the immune system “a boost.” But does that boost really matter? Researchers looked at studies of vitamin C where people took at least 200 milligrams of vitamin C daily in the form of a supplement and people were randomly placed in a placebo or vitamin C group. They then pooled the studies using a technique known as “meta-analysis.” Here’s what they found: In 29 studies involving 11,077 people, the risk of developing cold symptoms during the study period was the same regardless of whether people were taking a daily supplement of vitamin C or a placebo. This was true for almost every g