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Vitamin C: Colds
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[W]here did the vitamin C-cold connection start? It all stems from Linus Pauling, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist who lived from 1901 to 1994. In 1970 he wrote the book "Vitamin C and the Common Cold," which popularized the notion that this particular vitamin could prevent one of the most common ailments on earth. But the book came with little scientific backing and was largely devoid of evidence, says Pauling biographer Thomas Hager. "He published this very influential health book without writing a single scientific paper on the subject," he says. "He seemed to be prescribing a major change in dietary habits without much evidence."
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Vitamin C can reach it's full potential when taken with Wheat Germ. Materials that are present in most plant foods to a very limited extent are present mostly richly in wheat germ. Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi, the Nobel Laureate who first isolated vitamin C has been with out colds after adopting a practice of pouring 2 ounces of wheat germ over his breakfast cereal with 1000mg of ascorbic acid.
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As for vitamin C's long-argued ability to combat colds, the news looks good in this regard too. Research shows that high intakes of this water-soluble vitamin actually supercharge the immune system's most important cells, helping them to move faster while tracking down potential pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. This means you may not be able to prevent a cold by taking vitamin C, but you probably can make one shorter and less severe.
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Vitamin C is one of the few naturally anti-viral materials. There has been much controversy about its usefulness against colds and influenza. It is notable that Dr. Pauling’s interest in vitamin C was sparked by his observation that he and his wife experienced a striking decrease in the number and severity of colds after they started taking large quantities of it. I have enjoyed the same benefit.
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In 1975, Carson and co-workers reported treating company employees with 1,000 mg of vitamin C or a placebo daily during colds. The number of colds per person, the duration of colds and their severity were the same in both vitamin and placebo groups [19].
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Oranges, grapefruits and other vitamin C-loaded foods have many health benefits. But study after study has shown that the vitamin does little—if anything—to cure, prevent or even shorten the duration of the common cold.
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