For the common cold, vitamin C can prevent or treat symptoms, according to medical experts, but is this fact or fiction?
“Vitamin C is not a magic bullet, you know, it’s not magic and it’s not going to help you beat a cold,” says Jesse Bracamonte, a family medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic.
Bracamonte said that while there are no studies that prove vitamin C helps prevent infection or illness, some studies suggest it may help relieve symptoms faster, but only by 10 percent.
Still, Bracamonte says vitamin C is important for your health.
“It helps with collagen formation, it helps with tissue healing, it helps with protein, it helps with building muscle and keeping you healthy,” Bracamonte adds.
According to experts, vitamin C helps the immune system function properly.
Vitamin C is found in foods such as citrus fruits, berries, peppers, tomatoes and broccoli.
“On average, an orange contains 50 milligrams of vitamin C. Therefore, some fruits such as oranges and strawberries are natural and a natural way to get vitamin C and should be enough to meet your needs,” advises Bracamonte.
Bracamonte says if you want to get more vitamin C, supplements can be helpful, so talk to your doctor before taking them.
“Too much of anything is never good,” Bracamonte advises.
If you want relief from your cold symptoms, all you need is a little patience.
“My advice to people, and this has been true since time immemorial, is that rest and chicken soup are the best medicine,” Bracamonte said.