Vitamin C for Prevention, Not Treatment

By: Theresa Carmichael

“You have a cold? Drink orange juice… you will get better!”

Most of you have heard this before from your parents, grandparents, friends, and coworkers.  Unfortunately, after thousands of dollars on research dedicated to this myth, no research has been found that Vitamin C effectively treats the common cold.  Does this mean stop consuming Vitamin C? Of course not! Believe it or not, Vitamin C is actually synthesized by most mammals without having to consume it in the diet.  The exception? Humans.  Humans lack this ability, so we are required to consume about 60-75mg of vitamin C daily to support important functions in the body.  These functions include serving as an antioxidant, an aid in collagen synthesis, fat metabolism, and an important player for some neurotransmitters.  These functions are important because they have physiological effects on the body such as wound healing and enhancing non-heme iron (found in plants) absorption.  But, most of all, Vitamin C is mainly known for its effect on PREVENTION.  Vitamin C has been shown in multiple studies to help with preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and yes… colds!  Although Vitamin C has not shown to be a good treatment for someone who already has the common cold, it is a great way to PREVENT it from happening in the first place.  Maintaining a healthy diet with an adequate amount of Vitamin C from papaya, oranges, broccoli, green peppers, kale, lemons, and strawberries is the best way to ensure the development of a healthy immune system.