werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (11/21/85)
<>
OK, it's true, taking a mega-dose of 1 gram of Vitamin C daily will
lower the number of sick days due to colds up to 30%. However, the following
is of note:
1. The protection (within subpopulation - see below) is related to
blood Vitamin C levels, and taking more than a gram a day doesn't raise blood
levels any additional amount. So any more than a gram is a waste of money,
and probably a strain on your kidneys, who do their damndest to get rid of the
stuff. [It could be less to reach maximal levels, but the studies were done
with 1 g as the minimum dose.]
2. It doesn't reduce the NUMBER of colds, just how long each one lasts,
which works out to about 1-2 days. Note this is only true if you take the
Vitamin C in advance, not upon onset of symptoms.
3. The protection is strongest in children. It is slightly weaker but
still statistically significant in adult women. However, in adult males,
Vitamin C gives results indistinguishable from placebo. Trasnslation: it
doesn't work.
And for those of you who insist,
References:
Anderson, Reid, and Beaton
Vitamin C and the Common Cold: A double-blind trial
Canadian Med Assoc Journal, Sept. 23, 1972, 107:503.
Coulehan, Reisinger, Rogers, and Bradley
Vitamin C Prophylaxis in a Boarding School
New Eng J Medicine, Jan. 3, 1974, 290:6
and (not read by me yet)
Karlowski, Chalmers, Frenkel, et al.
Ascorbic Acid for the common cold: A prophylactic and Therapeutic Trial
JAMA, 1975, 231:1038.
--
Craig Werner
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"The end. 94. 95. The very, very, very end."