Does vitamin C help with colds?
Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 533 / 100
Evidence Score
The highest quality evidence. These studies systematically search, appraise, and synthesize results from multiple individual studies, providing the most reliable summary of current knowledge.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 533 / 100
Evidence Score
The highest quality evidence. These studies systematically search, appraise, and synthesize results from multiple individual studies, providing the most reliable summary of current knowledge.
Publication
Journal
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
Year
2004
Authors
Hemilä Harri, Chalker Elizabeth, Treacy Barbara, Douglas Bob, Cochrane
Related Content
Claims (5)
This claim says that taking lots of vitamin C, echinacea, garlic, or vitamin D doesn't actually help you get better from a cold, according to real studies done on people.
Taking vitamin C after you already have a cold doesn't really help you get better faster or feel less sick, according to several big studies.
Taking vitamin C pills every day doesn't really help prevent colds for most people, according to studies with thousands of participants.
Taking vitamin C supplements might cut your chances of getting a cold in half if you're under a lot of physical stress, like running marathons, skiing, or doing tough military training in cold weather.
Taking vitamin C regularly might help you get over a cold a little faster—about 8% quicker for adults and 13% for kids, according to a big study.