Vitamin C, the flu, and marketing

In these days of tropical cold and rain, the Dominican people are being hit by a wave of viruses that surprises many of us. This wave of flu is often accompanied by a second wave of defense-boosting home remedies and a constant message: Remember to take your vitamin C. Vitamins are organic compounds that we need to maintain health and carry out biological processes. Vitamin C, whose chemical name is ascorbic acid, is the third important mineral found, which is why it is identified by the third letter of the alphabet. Its contributions to the body include supporting collagen production, wound healing, iron absorption, and preventing scurvy.

The popularity of vitamins seems to have originated from the contributions of two scientific figures: chemists Linus Pauling and Denham Harman. Pauling is considered one of the most influential and influential scientists in history. His discoveries in chemistry and molecular biology earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954, and his humanitarian work earned him a second Nobel Peace Prize in 1962. Pauling thought he was absolutely right and a very good man. Charming and extravagant person; but the famous researcher was highly susceptible to respiratory illnesses and suffered from chronic influenza. In 1970, Pauling published a monograph titled “Vitamin C and the Common Influenza,” in which he concluded that taking large amounts of synthetic vitamins could protect against not only influenza, but other illnesses such as influenza, and even cancer. But here’s a slight problem, no one has been able to verify their results. Pauling suffered from confirmation bias and looked for things in the data that interested him. Denham Harman (a professor at the University of Nebraska) concluded that antioxidant vitamins could be used to slow aging after reading an article in Woman’s Journal. Thanks to Harman, the term “antioxidant” is now a common term. Hamann never had Pauling’s scientific clout or charisma, but his ideas had great commercial potential. Vitamin C is one of nature’s best antioxidants. As a result of the efforts of these researchers, there is now a multi-billion dollar industry of food supplements, including multivitamins. In fact, research on supplement consumption over the past 20 years shows that taking or not taking vitamins has no clear benefit in preventing viral illnesses like the flu. Our aging rate does not slow down if we take supplements. Why does this myth persist? It’s difficult to extract from collective memory the efforts of 50 years of marketing campaigns and a multi-billion dollar industry based on the sale of supplements and vitamins. While only a small percentage of people need these and benefit from them, the vast majority of people don’t need them.

Research Director, Intech