Using Vitamin C to Cure a Cold

Can Vitamin C cure a cold, or even prevent one?

It seems that Vitamin C is actually the miracle vitamin people claim it is. Without vitamin C the body would not be able to heal itself effectively, as vitamin C is vital for the formation of collagen, which helps repair cuts and other damage to our bodies.

In recent studies, people given Vitamin C drips before major surgeries had markedly better recovery times, surprising the doctors and surgeons involved. This is not really surprising, however, as the body needs vitamin C for more than 300 functions. In fact, vitamin C has been shown to help protect against heart disease, cancer and other serious diseases as well as everyday maladies such as colds and flus. Almost every effective cold and flu medicine contains Vitamin C. Some effective anti-cold and -flu formulas include Cold-FX, found in Canada, and Samahan, a Sri Lankan formula found in specialty stores.

Vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant for the body, which is crucial to prevent and offset damage caused by harmful free radicals. It also helps in the absorption of other essential and non-essential vitamins and minerals such as folic acid and iron, both imperative for optimal health. Especially because Vitamin C is water soluble, the more vitamin C the body has the better your defense against colds, flus and other common diseases. Even if you neglected your Vitamin C intake and have caught a cold or flu, Vitamin C can help accelerate the recovery process.

There is Vitamin C in almost all fruits and vegetables, however some have much higher content of vitamin C than others. Berries and melons are high in vitamin c, as are most tropical fruits including citrus fruits. A lesser known fact is that hot peppers – all peppers, actually – are very high in Vitamin C. As with any vegetable high in water soluble vitamins, however, boiling causes the loss of the vitamins. Steam or quickly stir fry your vegetables to ensure that more of their vitamin C content is maintained.

Although you should be able to meet your daily requirements of Vitamin C by eating five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables a day (consumed raw or cooked quickly), especially if the vegetables are certified organic, it may still be wise to supplement with Vitamin C, especially during winter months when veggies are less fresh and more cold and flu germs are going around.

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