6 ms·

Is this why taking Vitamin C is good when you start to get a cold?

by acd 11y ago

harryf 11y ago
If you consider the evolution of homo sapiens and it's predecessor, homo erectus, you have about 1.98 Million years where their diet would have been rich in Vitamin C; berries, fruit, vegetables etc.; their primary food sources, supplemented occasionally by meat when available. Farming only began to develop around 20,000 years ago, causing grains take a bigger role in home sapiens diet and reducing the relative Vitamin C consumption. Meanwhile we didn't physically evolve during that time. So one might expect that our bodies are evolved to thrive when Vitamin C intake is high...
- ams6110 11y ago
  And insects. Sounds disgusting to most of us who consume the modern western diet, but insects would have been a source of protein and fat.
- scott_s 11y ago
  It's a reasonable hypothesis, yes. But it has been researched, and it turns out to not be the case.
zappo2938 11y ago
Vitamin C has been proven to not have an effect on viral colds either way.[1] Vitamin D on the other hand has been proven to be an immune system modulator.[2] Unlike Vitamin C, most people develop Vitamin D deficiency.[3] I strongly advice you and everybody based on these studies to get yearly blood work and talk to a doctor about taking 4000IU daily supplement of Vitamin D. Also massive doses of Vitamin D can have negative effects. As for Vitimin C, just because someone is a Noble Prize winner or brain surgeon doesn't mean they are an authority on all things. Ben Carson makes my point. [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440782 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440782 [2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2870528/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2870528/ [3]http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vitamin-d-deficiency-united-states/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vitamin-d-deficien...
- mratzloff 11y ago
  Well, it's not quite as cut and dry as that. While human and animal studies have shown that vitamin C does significantly improve immune function,[1] over 40 years of research suggests that routine vitamin C supplementation does not prevent the common cold but modestly reduces its duration and severity in the general population, and halves the risk of catching a cold in people exposed to extreme physical stress, while the few therapeutic trials of vitamin C treatment of the common cold have been inconsistent.[2][3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C_and_the_common_cold https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C_and_the_common_cold
- majkinetor 11y ago
  Vitamin C doesn't cure common cold, but it sure as hell a) shortens it b) prevents complications (which may rise to be chronic). What vitamin C does is prevent common cold, if taken the right way. Pauling cure for common cold was never really tested. All papers on common cold used very small doses, almost all bellow 1g. Paulling advocated 1-2g every hour. I tried it and it works for me, but timing is crucial - it must be taken on first signs of disease, it wont do much if you delay that.
  - bitL 11y ago
    Did you try taking zinc right after an onset of symptoms? I experimented with that one and had like 50% probability of getting over some common viroses within one day.
    - majkinetor 11y ago
      Yes i did. Alone it isnt that effective as C. Cobination is the best. Must be megadoze zinc too - 50 to 100 mg.
  - scott_s 11y ago
    Research on vitamin C does not agree with your conclusions.
    - 11y ago
mabbo 11y ago
Nope. Doing that is, from what I've read at least, 100% useless. But it's a pervasive enough belief that snake-oil salesmen have made a killing off it.
- dualogy 11y ago
  > Doing that is, from what I've read at least, 100% useless. Well it's not 100% useless, it's just not "100% success rate guaranteed every time". Maybe not even 20%. But 100% useless will be hard to prove..
jordanpg 11y ago
I think some of the respondents are missing your sarcasm here. I'm glad I'm not the only one who observes this rather mysterious obsession with demonstrating that Vitamin C has magical properties.

Is this why taking Vitamin C is good when you start to get a cold?

by acd 11y ago

Is this why taking Vitamin C is good when you start to get a cold?

If you consider the evolution of homo sapiens and it's predecessor, homo erectus, you have about 1.98 Million years where their diet would have been rich in Vitamin C; berries, fruit, vegetables etc.; their primary food sources, supplemented occasionally by meat when available. Farming only began to develop around 20,000 years ago, causing grains take a bigger role in home sapiens diet and reducing the relative Vitamin C consumption. Meanwhile we didn't physically evolve during that time. So one might expect that our bodies are evolved to thrive when Vitamin C intake is high...

ams6110 11y ago
And insects. Sounds disgusting to most of us who consume the modern western diet, but insects would have been a source of protein and fat.
scott_s 11y ago
It's a reasonable hypothesis, yes. But it has been researched, and it turns out to not be the case.

zappo2938 11y ago

Vitamin C has been proven to not have an effect on viral colds either way.[1] Vitamin D on the other hand has been proven to be an immune system modulator.[2] Unlike Vitamin C, most people develop Vitamin D deficiency.[3] I strongly advice you and everybody based on these studies to get yearly blood work and talk to a doctor about taking 4000IU daily supplement of Vitamin D. Also massive doses of Vitamin D can have negative effects. As for Vitimin C, just because someone is a Noble Prize winner or brain surgeon doesn't mean they are an authority on all things. Ben Carson makes my point. [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440782 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440782 [2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2870528/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2870528/ [3]http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vitamin-d-deficiency-united-states/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vitamin-d-deficien...

mratzloff 11y ago
Well, it's not quite as cut and dry as that. While human and animal studies have shown that vitamin C does significantly improve immune function,[1] over 40 years of research suggests that routine vitamin C supplementation does not prevent the common cold but modestly reduces its duration and severity in the general population, and halves the risk of catching a cold in people exposed to extreme physical stress, while the few therapeutic trials of vitamin C treatment of the common cold have been inconsistent.[2][3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C_and_the_common_cold https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C_and_the_common_cold
majkinetor 11y ago
Vitamin C doesn't cure common cold, but it sure as hell a) shortens it b) prevents complications (which may rise to be chronic). What vitamin C does is prevent common cold, if taken the right way. Pauling cure for common cold was never really tested. All papers on common cold used very small doses, almost all bellow 1g. Paulling advocated 1-2g every hour. I tried it and it works for me, but timing is crucial - it must be taken on first signs of disease, it wont do much if you delay that.
- bitL 11y ago
  Did you try taking zinc right after an onset of symptoms? I experimented with that one and had like 50% probability of getting over some common viroses within one day.
  - majkinetor 11y ago
    Yes i did. Alone it isnt that effective as C. Cobination is the best. Must be megadoze zinc too - 50 to 100 mg.
- scott_s 11y ago
  Research on vitamin C does not agree with your conclusions.
  - 11y ago

mabbo 11y ago

Nope. Doing that is, from what I've read at least, 100% useless. But it's a pervasive enough belief that snake-oil salesmen have made a killing off it.

dualogy 11y ago
> Doing that is, from what I've read at least, 100% useless. Well it's not 100% useless, it's just not "100% success rate guaranteed every time". Maybe not even 20%. But 100% useless will be hard to prove..

jordanpg 11y ago

I think some of the respondents are missing your sarcasm here. I'm glad I'm not the only one who observes this rather mysterious obsession with demonstrating that Vitamin C has magical properties.