Can Vitamin C Help You Fight a Cold?

Information in this article based from Cleveland Clinic

The Yolk

• Does vitamin C help fight a cold?
  • The evidence is inconsistent, but it probably won’t hurt to supplement
  • Most people get enough vitamin C in their diet
• Why do we think vitamin C helps a cold?
  • Vitamin C is an antioxidant
  • Vitamin C protects immune cells from damage
• Vitamin C also:
  • Repairs body tissues – helps form collagen
  • Helps absorb iron
  • Helps chemical messengers work in the brain
• Vitamin C is found in:
  • Citrus fruits
  • Peppers
  • White potatoes
  • Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower (cruciferous)
  • Tomatoes
  • Strawberries
  • Melon

Perspective

• The linked article speaks more to what vitamin C is rather than the connection to colds – but the evidence isn’t clear either
• All vitamins will help a cold essentially – a healthy balanced diet will create less sickness
• How else can you help fight a cold?
  • Make sure to get ALL the vitamins
  • Get plenty of rest
  • Drink lots of fluids (water, tea, broth)
  • Eat a balanced, healthy diet
  • Manage stress

Research & Resources

• No consistency in Vitamin C research with the common cold
• Vitamin C may help cold recovery in athletes
• Vitamin C does help a cold in this study
• Elderberry as a potential flu treatment
• The long history of vitamin C for the common cold and COVID

Recommendations

• A multivitamin to make sure no vitamin is left behind – men’s, women’s, kids
• Vitamin D to help immune function
• Vitamin C