The effects of ascorbic acid and flavonoids on the occurrence of symptoms normally associated with the common cold
Abstract
A controlled study was made of the effects of natural orange juice, synthetic orange juice, and placebo in the prevention of the common cold; both natural and synthetic orange juices contained 80 mg of ascorbic acid daily. Three-hundred sixty-two healthy normal young adult volunteers, ages 17 to 25 years, were studied for 72 days with 97% of participants completing the trial. There was a 14 to 21% reduction in total symptoms due to the common cold in the supplemented groups that was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Ascorbic acid supplementation also increased the number of "episode-free" subjects. However, the clinical usefulness of the results does not support prophylactic ascorbic acid supplements in the well-nourished adult. The results in this study with both natural and synthetic orange juice of physiological content of ascorbic acid, are similar to those obtained using a "megadose" of ascorbic acid.
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Hemilä 1997a has suggested that some of the early benefits of vitamin C supplementation might be explained by low dietary vitamin C intakes in the UK when the studies were carried out.
“Hemilä 1997a has suggested that some of the early benefits of vitamin C supplementation might be a explained by low dietary vitamin C intakes in the UK when the studies were carried out (Baird 1979; Bartley 1953; Glazebrook 1942).”
From Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold (2013) · cites this paper as Baird 1979
Baird 1979 used a low dose of 0.08 g/d vitamin C.
“A daily drink contained either synthetic orange juice without ascorbic acid, synthetic juice with 0.08 g/d of ascorbic acid added, or natural orange juice with 0.08 g/d of ascorbic acid added.”
From Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold (2013) · cites this paper as Baird 1979
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- Authors
- Baird, I., Hughes, R., Wilson, H., Davies, J. E. W., & Howard, A.
- Corresponding author
- Baird, IM
- Venue
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1979-08
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1686-1690
- ISSN
- 0002-9165 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2129817814
- Cited by
- 62
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 2.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Vitamin C and Antioxidants Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Respiratory viral infections research
- Keywords
- common cold, vitamin C, vitamin C supplementation, orange juice, flavonoids, prophylaxis, young adults
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Ascorbic Acid, Common Cold, Female, Flavonoids, Humans, Male, Sex Factors, Time Factors
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