Can vitamin C really help with colds?

Can vitamin C really help with colds?

Dec 12, 2024Ehotyshamull Joy
Pharmacist who reads papers
Vitamin C for colds? 3 reasons to take vitamin C
1. Immunization2
. Improving arterial blood pressure and stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes
3. Skin health

Hello. I'm a pharmacist Jinny.

 

Vitamin C, an ingredient that is already so familiar to us, it would be difficult to find people who have never tried it. It's so common that it's found in vegetables, fruits, multivitamins, and even convenience store beverages and ice cream. Vitamin C is known to be a particularly good nutrient for colds, so it's often sought after when you're feeling cold.

 

However, there are also many people who say, "I take it because it's good for my body, but I'm curious if vitamin C really helps with colds, and where exactly it is good." So, in today's paper, we're going to take a closer look at the workings of vitamin C and the benefits of taking it.

 

1. Immunity

Immunity is broadly divided into innate immunity and acquired immunity, and the concept of "immunity" corresponds to acquired immunity. Acquired immunity plays a role in reinforcing innate immunity by remembering previously invaded antigens (immune memory) and then responding specifically to the re-invasion of antigens to effectively eliminate antigens (specificity).

 

A review of Nutrients on the role of vitamin C in the immune system summarizes vitamin C as follows:

 

 

"Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting various cellular functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Vitamin C deficiency leads to a lower immune system and a higher risk of infection."

2. Improves arterial blood pressure and stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes

According to data released by the Korean Diabetes Association in 2020, about 1 in 7 (13.8%) adults over the age of 30 in Korea have diabetes. It has become a very common disease in modern people. The biggest problem with diabetes is that it can lead to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular complications.

 

A 2013 study published in Hypertension studied the effects of vitamin C intake on vascular health in people with diabetes and reported:

 

"Thus, we showed that after one month, oral ascorbic acid (vitamin C) lowered arterial blood pressure and improved arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes."

 

3. Skin health

And that's not all. Vitamin C is widely known to have a variety of benefits for the skin. This is because it not only suppresses free radicals that accelerate the aging of the human body, including the skin, but also helps the production of collagen, which is a component of skin, hair, and muscles.

 

Therefore, various studies have been accumulated on the beneficial effects of oral vitamin C intake on skin health. A 2007 study based on data from the UK's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that there was a strong correlation between vitamin C intake in middle-aged women and skin-related markers.

 

"The higher the vitamin C intake, the lower the risk of wrinkles and senile dryness. A higher intake of vitamin C and linolenic acid, as well as a lower intake of fat and carbohydrates, is associated with a better skin appearance."

 

Today, we're going to look at the many benefits that vitamin C can provide, including boosting the body's immunity. Finally, for a more direct view of the relationship between vitamin C and the common cold, see a randomized clinical trial published in 2007 [4].

 

In this study, vitamin C supplementation did not have a significant preventive effect in the general population, but it was shown to reduce the incidence of colds by more than 50% in the highly active athlete group. It has also been reported that regular intake of vitamin C in the general public reduces the duration and severity of a cold.

 

However, even if it is not necessarily for the prevention and treatment of colds, it is important to remember that vitamin C is an essential nutrient with triple functionality, so it is very important in our lives.

 

I hope you have a healthy day in body and mind. It was Jinny.

 

[1] Carr, A. C., & Maggini, S. (2017). Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients, 9(11), 1211.
[2] Brian A. Mullan, Ian S. Young, Howard Fee and David R. McCance. (2002). Ascorbic Acid Reduces Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetes. Hypertension, 40(6):804-809.
[3] Cosgrove MC, Franco OH, Granger SP, Murray PG, Mayes AE. (2007). Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women. Am J Clin Nutr, 86(4):1225-31.
[4] Hemilä, H., & Chalker, E. (2013). Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2013(1), CD000980.

 

 



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