Does vitamin C help people recover from sickness?

Answer 1

Possibly, but it probably doesn’t help very much, according to several scientific studies.

A 2004 review from Australian National University found that a "routine mega-dose [of vitamin C to prevent disease] is not rationally justified for community use," though the authors noted that vitamin C supplements could help people who have overexerted themselves physically and for individuals who spend significant time in cold environments. The authors revisited their research in 2013, but their conclusions didn't change.

Some studies have shown modest benefits for vitamin C supplementation. In 2013, a scientific review found that taking 200 milligrams of vitamin C every day during a cold could help reduce the duration of symptoms in adults by an average of 8 percent—but to get the best possible benefits, you’d have to consume vitamin C before you show symptoms.

What to Know About Vitamin C Supplements

Another important point: Most physicians recommend getting vitamin C through foods and liquids, not through dietary supplements. The FDA doesn't regulate supplements as strictly as it does medicine, and supplements' labels sometimes misstate their ingredients; vitamin-rich foods deliver other crucial nutrients, and they're typically much cheaper than supplements.

Mega-doses of vitamin C aren’t helpful, since our bodies aren’t equipped to store massive amounts of the vitamin. Excessive vitamin C passes out of the body in the urine, so most adults won't see any benefit from 400 milligrams or more of vitamin C. For perspective, an orange contains about 69.7 milligrams of vitamin C. By adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, you can easily meet your daily threshold for vitamin C (65 to 90 milligrams for adults) without bothering with supplements.

Staying Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

If you're looking for a supplement that could boost your immune system during flu season, consider zinc. A 2011 article in The Journal of Family Practice found "convincing evidence from 13 randomized placebo-controlled trials that taking zinc soon after the onset of symptoms of the common cold significantly reduces both the duration and severity of symptoms." Unfortunately, zinc also tends to have some side effects; over-the-counter supplements can cause nausea, and long-term use can interfere with copper metabolism.

With that said, here's a simple game plan for flu season: Eat a balanced diet, wash your hands regularly, and consider taking a zinc supplement if you come down with an illness. Ask your physician before making any major changes to your diet or lifestyle—and if you're really worried about illness, consider getting a flu shot.

Answer 2

Vitamin C is generally helpful up to about 2000 mg per day. (That's how much my wife feeds me each day.) Beyond that, it will be excreted in the urine, so you really don't need to worry about an overdose.

However, if you have been taking large doses of vitamin C, you should not suddenly stop taking it; gradually decrease the dosage.

There are no definitive studies proving that vitamin C has any effect on colds, flu or other illnesses, but many people believe that it has a very positive effect. This may or may not be an example of the placebo effect.

Answer 3

Around 1970, Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling popularized the theory that vitamin C helps treat colds. ... Reduced cold severity: They reduced the symptoms of a cold, making it less severe. Reduced cold duration: Supplements decreased recovery time by 8% in adults and 14% in children, on average.

Answer 4

As long as you don't overdo it, Vitamin C is thought by many to have very beneficial effects, especially during a cold. Unless a doctor advises against it, it should not hurt you.

It depend of what illness you have.

Answer 5

I watched a documentary where a Harvard doctor explained that giving massive dosis of vitamin C to a cancer patient, made the illness recede and healed the patient. He explained that vitamin C reinforces the inmune system and then it fights the war. Pharmaceutical industry does not like this and you almost never would find a Doctor Who tells you to take more than 500 mg of vitamin C, not good for them.

Answer 6

Vitamin C helps maintain the immune system but must be replenished daily unlike other vitamins which can build up in the body over time. It's the only vitamin which is completely used and cleared from the body daily.

Answer 7

Of course, vitamin C helps improve the immunity of the human body, and strengthens bones, joints and muscles

Answer 8

Maybe, it probably depends. It will certainly help build up your body health-wise and help you on the road to recovery, but it's not necessarily THE thing that will help you recover.