Does Vitamin C help you fight off a cold?

Atshou!! Whenever we sniff a cold attacking, we directly grab a vitamin C source, be it a glass of orange juice, a lemonade or a vitamin C supplement, which is considered as the magical cure for common colds.

Can vitamin C prevent or cure common colds?
Over the years, Vitamin C was claimed to either prevent or cure common colds. These claims were not proven to be scientifically true, but what is known and proven is that an adequate intake of vitamin C does play a vital role in fighting infection.

Shorter Colds
Recent studies have revealed that vitamin C didn't keep colds at bay for most people, but was found to reduce the duration of a cold when taken at the onset of symptoms.

Prevention in athletes and highly fit people:
On the other hand, vitamin C acts as a preventive measure to highly fit people in conditions of extreme cold (results based mostly on marathon runners), as it was shown to cut the risk of getting a cold in half!

What are the benefits of vitamin C in the human body?

We need Vitamin C because it:

• Forms collagen, a tissue that helps hold cells together in our bodies
• Is essential for our healthy bones, teeth, gums, and blood vessels
• Helps our bodies absorb iron and calcium
• Aids in healing wounds
• Contributes to our brain function

We do not have the ability to make our own vitamin C, so we need to obtain it through our diet.

How much is enough?
Women need 60mg of vitamin C daily. For smokers, the recommended intake is 35mg/day higher than for nonsmokers, because smokers are under increased oxidative stress from the toxins in cigarette smoke and generally have lower blood levels of vitamin C.

Where can you find vitamin C?
Most people think that citrus fruits are the only best source of vitamin C but there are many other fruits and vegetables that contain vitamin C in abundant amounts. Natural fruit juices are a delicious and rich source of vitamin C.

Food	Vitamin C
Guava, medium (1)	165mg
Papaya, medium (1/2 cup)	95mg
Red bell pepper (1/2 cup)	95mg
Orange, medium (1)	60mg
Broccoli, boiled (1/2 cup)	60mg
Green bell pepper (1/2 cup)	45mg
Strawberries (1/2 cup)	45mg
Grapefruit (1/2)	40mg
Potato, baked with skin (1)	25mg
Cabbage, raw (1/2 cup)	25mg
Tomato, medium, raw	25mg
Spinach, raw (1 cup)	15mg

Don’t just reach for vitamin C-rich foods when you feel a cold coming, make it a part of your daily healthy eating plan.