Effects of Vitamin C on Colds Among Colorado College Students CCCC

Barrett Hargreaves

DIS-1

9/21/2008

Effects of Vitamin C on Colds Among Colorado College Students CCCC

Discussion: In a physiological sense, additional amounts of Vitamin C should help the duration and the severity of cold symptoms. In his article, Hemila explains that at the onset of an infection, the immune system begins to produce oxidizing agents. These oxidizing agents fight viruses and bacteria but are also harmful to human cells, which causes symptoms of a cold. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which helps protect human cells from these oxidizing agents. With this understanding, Vitamin C protecting the body against its own immune system should imply that Vitamin C cannot prevent infections, because it can only take effect after the immune system begins acting on an infection. Vitamin C may provide enough protection that the effects of the oxidizing agents are so minimal that no symptoms are shown, but there still is an infection present (and can still spread). But the physiological knowledge of how Vitamin C fights cold symptoms should also imply Vitamin C supplementation decreases the duration and severity of colds. Additional Vitamin C in the system would provide additional protection against the oxidizing agents, making their effect on the body less severe and not last as long.

This chain of reasoning stemmed from the knowledge of the physiological effects of Vitamin C must be flawed somewhere, because it contradicts with what has been observed when patients are treated with Vitamin C during infection. Actually, the reasoning is contradicted by some observers and supported by others. Many studies have looked into the effect Vitamin C has on the common cold and have turned up varying results. A recent study conducted by Barrett et al. surveyed a sample of doctors and expert researchers on their opinion of the effectiveness of Vitamin C (and various other treatments) in fighting the common cold. Very few doctors and researchers reported they would expect a decrease in the duration of cold symptoms when patients are treated with Vitamin C and most all of them expected no decrease in duration of symptoms. When asked, most of the respondents stated they did not think the benefit of the treatment was worth the associated costs and risks of using Vitamin C. In 1973 Ludvigsson and others conducted an experiment to study the treatment and preventative qualities of vitamin C. The study showed a significantly lower number of days per cold with subjects taking 1000 mg of vitamin C (as opposed to 30 mg in the pilot study and 10 mg in the main study). However the different dosages showed no significant difference in percentage of children totally free of symptoms during the study, the number of colds per person, or the total number of days of symptoms. These findings suggested vitamin C is ineffective at preventing colds but can help decrease the duration of episodes. However a study carried out by Audera and others reported no significant decrease in the duration of symptoms during a cold, conflicting with the results of the Ludvigsson study. And yet another study carried out by Van Straten and others reported significant decreases in both frequency and duration of colds when subjects took vitamin C daily. The general conclusions made by the studies taken into consideration are summarized in figure 1.

Vitamin C…
Reference / Helps prevent colds / Reduces the duration of colds / Decreases the overall severity of colds
Hemila, 1991 / opposes / supports / supports
Barrett et al. 2007 / NA / opposes / opposes
Ludvigsson et al. 1977 * / opposes / supports / supports
Straten & Josling, 2002 / supports / supports / supports
Audera et al. 2001 * / NA / opposes / opposes

Figure 1. Overall conclusions drawn from past studies about the effect of Vitamin C on the common cold. Studies that would agree with the given statements are labeled “supports,” studies that would disagree with the given statement are labeled “opposes,” and studies that did not address the statement are labeled “NA.”

* study looked at increased amounts of vitamin C from the recommended daily dosage, and may not necessarily agree or disagree that any amount of Vitamin C helps prevent, reduce the duration and/or severity of colds.

The conflicting results from each of the studies has not allowed a final conclusion to be drawn on the effects of vitamin C on the common cold.

References

Audera, C., et al. (2001). Mega-dose vitamin C in treatment of the common cold: a randomised controlled trial. The Medical Journal of Australia, 175, 359-362. Retrieved from www.csa.com

Barrett, B., et al. (2007). Clinicalsignificance of common cold treatment: Professionals’ opinions. WMJ : Official Publication of the State.Medical Society of Wisconsin, 106(8), 473-480. Retrieved from www.csa.com

Hemila, H. (1992). Vitamin C and the common cold. British Journal of Nutrition, 67, 3-16. Retrieved from www.csa.com

Ludvigsson, J., et al. (1977). Vitamin C as a preventive medicine against common colds in children. Scand J Infect Dis, 9, 91-98. Retrieved from www.csa.com

Van Straten, M., & Josling, P. (2002). Preventing the common cold with a vitamin C supplement: A double-blind, placebo controlled survey. Advances in Therapy, 19(3), 151-159. Retrieved from www.csa.com