Does vitamin C alleviate the symptoms of the common cold? A review of current evidence
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Since 1971, 21 placebo-controlled studies have been made to establish whether vitamin C at a dosage of > or = 1 g/day affects the common cold. These studies have not found any consistent evidence that vitamin C supplementation reduces the incidence of the common cold in the general population. Nevertheless, in each of the 21 studies, vitamin C reduced the duration of episodes and the severity of the symptoms of the common cold by an average of 23%. However, there have been large variations in the benefits observed, and clinical significance cannot be clearly inferred from the results. Still, the consistency of the results indicates that the role of vitamin C in the treatment of the common cold should be reconsidered.
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Regular vitamin C supplementation at doses of at least 1 g/day has consistently decreased the duration or alleviated the symptoms of the common cold, with substantial heterogeneity in the results.
“Although regular vitamin C supplementation at doses of ≥ 1 g/day has consistently decreased the duration or alleviated the symptoms of the common cold, there was substantial heterogeneity in the results (Hemilä 1994).”
From Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold (2013) · cites this paper as Hemilä 1994
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Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold
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- Authors
- Hemilä, H.
- Affiliations
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Hemilä, Harri
- ORCID
- Hemilä, Harri
- Venue
- Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 1994-01
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-6
- ISSN
- 0036-5548 (ISSN-L)
- 1651-1980
- OpenAlex
- W2143137733
- Cited by
- 88
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Vitamin C and Antioxidants Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Respiratory viral infections research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Herbal Medicine Research Studies
- Keywords
- vitamin C, common cold, vitamin C supplementation
- MeSH terms
- Ascorbic Acid, Clinical Trials as Topic, Common Cold, Humans, Incidence
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