Vitamin C – A miracle cure for the common cold
It’s the chestnut tree of winter: when the month of December approaches, all the health magazines give pride of place to vitamin C. In the form of lemon juice or food supplements, advice rains down to encourage everyone to absorb their daily dose of vitamins. For some, it is necessary to take vitamin C in the form of food supplements to fight against winter illnesses, including the common cold…
But what are the real effects of vitamin C on the body? And can vitamin C supplements protect us from the common cold? Detox Channel takes stock.
It’s a scientifically proven fact: vitamin C performs many functions in the body. It intervenes for example in the protection of the wall of the blood vessels and the assimilation of iron. Moreover, the antioxidant effects of this vitamin, which prevents cell degradation, are well established.
And since our body is not able to synthesize it, it is through food that we must obtain it. Moreover, it is recommended to absorb an average of 110 mg/day for an adult.
Consume even more vitamin C to fight more effectively against the common cold?
Does this mean that by going beyond the recommended doses and consuming even more vitamin C, we would increase its beneficial effects, in particular to protect ourselves from the attack of the viruses responsible for the inevitable colds or rhinitis of winter? ?
The answer is no. Many studies have looked into this question, and none of them have been able to clearly demonstrate significant beneficial effects of high-dose vitamin C on the frequency, duration or severity of colds. For the general population, the popular adage that “A cold untreated lasts 7 days, treated lasts a week” therefore seems to be true. Moreover, vitamin C given as a treatment against severe infections has only a minimal impact on the health of patients, as confirmed by a recent review of the literature.
Instead of resorting to supplementation, it is better to consume fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C such as citrus fruits and peppers to meet your needs. And not only is there no point in ingesting large doses of vitamin C beyond the recommended intakes for fighting colds or other infections, but scientists are also now discovering that, under certain conditions, vitamin C may have oxidizing (and no longer antioxidant) properties. In addition, an excessive intake of vitamin C can cause digestive problems and nausea.
It is therefore better to be cautious with the overconsumption of vitamin C in the form of food supplements, especially since nothing guarantees that the nutrients retain their beneficial effects once extracted from their original matrix, nor that they have the same effects in everyone. the world (smokers or not, sick or healthy people, etc.).
