Whats the basis of the claim that extra doses of vitamin C can cure colds?
The idea of taking large doses of vitamin C as a preventive measure against the common cold – and other diseases – was the brainchild of Dr. Linus Pauling, twice winner of the Nobel prize (for work in other fields). His book on the subject was very widely read, and many people did – and do – take large amounts of vitamin C after reading it, much to the delight of the manufacturers of products rich in the vitamin. Pauling based his hypothesis on an analysis he did of the eating habits of Man as compared with his closest animal relatives. He calculated the average vitamin C content of 110 natural plant foods that a gorilla might eat, and showed that were a man to eat the same diet he would consume 2.3g of the vitamin. He also worked out how much vitamin C other animals (who do not require the vitamin in their diet as they make enough in their own bodies) were making for themselves each day. He came to the conclusion that man needed an intake of 10g of vitamin C every day something like 1
