Vitamin C and Colds
Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Vitamin C shows no benefit when taken after cold symptoms start
Many people take vitamin C at the first sign of a cold hoping to reduce severity or duration
Practical Takeaways
Consider vitamin C supplementation if you're undergoing extreme physical stress like marathon training or military exercises
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Vitamin C shows no benefit when taken after cold symptoms start
Many people take vitamin C at the first sign of a cold hoping to reduce severity or duration
Practical Takeaways
Consider vitamin C supplementation if you're undergoing extreme physical stress like marathon training or military exercises
Publication
Journal
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
Year
2007
Authors
R. Douglas, H. Hemilä, E. Chalker, B. Treacy
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 pills every day doesn't really help prevent colds for most people, according to research.
Taking vitamin C pills cuts your chances of catching a cold in half if you're doing really tough activities like running marathons, skiing, or military training in freezing cold places.
Taking vitamin C regularly might help you get over a cold faster—about 8% quicker for adults and 14% for kids, according to a big study.
Taking vitamin C after you already have cold symptoms doesn't make your cold shorter or less severe compared to taking a fake pill.