Vitamins & The Common Cold
It seems myself and everyone around has been catching colds lately, and it prompted me to do a little research on the vitamins and minerals that may help you fight off a cold virus. First of all, keep in mind that colds are indeed the result of viruses, not merely cold weather. The weather may play a part of lowering your immune system, but it’s still a virus transmitted by bacteria that causes the cold. Maintaining good hygiene and avoiding touching public surfaces where bacteria is spread are a smart start.
If you want any cold treatment to be effective, you need to get started as soon as you start to notice cold symptoms (or sooner), not after you’re already coughing up a lung. The most effective natural cold treatments are two nutrients which are also helpful in acne prevention: vitamin C and zinc. Both of these are strong antioxidants which act to bolster your immune system.
Much fuss has been made over vitamin C, and its use for treating colds is rather well known. A variety of medical studies have shown that supplementing with as little as 500 mg of vitamin C daily can reduce the risk of catching a cold. Higher doses, such as 6 grams or more per day (up to 18 grams), have been advocated by figures such as the Nobel prize-winning biochemist Linus Carl Pauling, and shown to reduce the duration of cold symptoms, although some debate remains about the efficacy of these high doses. Vitamin C is water-soluble and very safe, but at extremely high doses it may cause stool softening. I wouldn’t recommend over 6 grams myself.
The main zinc cold treatments take the form of nasal sprays, such as Zicam. The evidence for these treatments is very convincing, with multiple double-blind studies showing that zinc can eliminate common cold symptoms in just a matter of days. However, even the results of these treatments are debated, and in the case of Zicam there have been reports of some users losing their sense of smell - a high price to pay to be rid of a cold (although these users likely took a LOT of Zicam). Zinc taken purely as a supplement is generally safe at doses under 100 mg, but appears to be less effective as a cold treatment.
With either natural cold remedy, half the battle is prevention. Zinc or high doses of vitamin C may help you get over your cold faster, but even then you will likely need to start as soon as you notice those first symptoms if you want to see results. Keep your immune system strong and try to avoid catching whatever virus is going around.
