2024-01-17 17:52:18
Vitamin C undoubtedly has positive effects on the immune system, but is it really a miracle cure for colds as is often promoted? This is the current study situation.
Vitamin C is probably the most well-known vitamin. It is said to have numerous effects, including protecting against colds. But what is the truth of the statement and what is the current research situation?
Historical Context: Where does the belief that vitamin C helps with colds come from?
The Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche could loudly SWR culture With a large advertising campaign in the 1930s, many were convinced of the supposed miraculous effects of vitamin C. As Wissenwaseffekt.org, a blog from the Cochrane research network, writes, animal studies in the 1930s showed that vitamin C can influence the body’s resistance to infections. Several studies were then carried out examining the influence of vitamin C on colds. In the 1970s, Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling also began researching the topic and published his results in the book “Vitamin C and the Common Cold”. He was loud ARD alpha convinced that high-dose vitamin preparations – especially vitamin C – can cure a number of diseases. And not just a cold, but also cancer. However, current studies show a different result.
Vitamin C and colds: This is the research
Scientists from the Cochrane network published a review on the topic in 2013, in which a total of 67 studies were examined. The results can be summarized as follows:
- Taking vitamin C regularly cannot prevent colds.
- Taking vitamin C regularly can affect the duration and severity of the cold. In adults, the duration decreased by 8 percent and in children by 14 percent.
- For people who are “exposed to extreme physical stress, such as marathon runners or soldiers,” vitamin C has a convincing effect: the risk of colds has been halved.
The review states that it may be worthwhile for cold patients to test individually whether vitamin C helps them, although the study results do not allow for a clear therapy recommendation. According to a more recent observational study from 2020, there is no connection between vitamin C and respiratory problems. According to the study, other vitamins would be more effective against colds – namely vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin D.
Cold: How does vitamin C actually work in the body?
Despite the studies on colds, one thing is certain: Vitamin C is essential for the body. It is used as an antioxidant, so it binds free radicals that can arise, among other things, from inflammation in the body. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) maintains a long list of health claims about nutrients that are scientifically proven. The following so-called health claims, among others, are approved for vitamin C:
- Vitamin C contributes to normal energy metabolism.
- Vitamin C contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system.
- Vitamin C helps reduce tiredness and fatigue.
According to the German Nutrition Society for adults, the daily requirement for vitamin C is 110 milligrams (men) and 95 milligrams per day (women). For smokers, the daily requirement increases to 155 and 135 milligrams respectively. The daily requirement for vitamin C also increases when you are stressed. According to Manon Struck-Pacyna from the German Food Association, just 15 minutes of stress can consume more than 300 milligrams.
As a water-soluble vitamin, excess vitamin C is simply flushed out by the body. According to the consumer advice center, regular intake of very high doses – of 3 to 4 grams per day – of vitamin C can trigger flatulence and diarrhea. The Federal Institute for Risk Research has formulated a maximum amount of 250 milligrams per day for dietary supplements, but according to the EFSA, no side effects are to be expected when taking up to 1 gram. According to the consumer advice center, people who have already had kidney stones or previous kidney diseases should be careful.
Daily requirements can easily be met through diet. Foods high in vitamin C include peppers, spinach and broccoli.
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