Can A High Dosage Of Vitamin C Stop Cold Sores From Forming
Caused by the herpes simplex virus , cold sores can be very painful. In search of both healing and prevention, people often look for alternative treatments that work. These options can sometimes include vitamins and home remedies for cold sores.
While many questions linger as to which natural treatments deliver results, high dose vitamin C does show signs of promise. This is not only true for vitamin C but other vitamins and supplements as well. It works best when used as a part of a healthier lifestyle, but theres no way to guarantee the prevention of an outbreak.
Critical phytochemicals, known as bioflavonoids, can also potentially help to prevent cold sores. This is especially true if vitamin C is working in conjunction with these potent super-antioxidants.
If youre seeking to give your health a boost, we recommend Herp Rescue Immune System Support. It contains vitamin c, L-Lysine, zinc, and other essential nutrients. Your body urgently needs all of these things to effectively fight off HSV-1.
Does vitamin c for cold sores work? We will seek to answer that question.
Vitamin C For Preventing And Treating The Common Cold
The common cold is a major cause of visits to a doctor in high-income countries and of absenteeism from work and school. There are over 200 viruses which can cause the common cold symptoms including runny nose, congestion, sneezing, sore throat, cough, and sometimes headache, fever and red eyes. Symptoms vary from person to person and cold to cold. Since the common cold is usually caused by one of the respiratory viruses, antibiotics are useless and therefore other potential treatment options are of substantial public health interest.
Vitamin C has been proposed for treating respiratory infections since it was isolated in the 1930s. It became particularly popular in the 1970s when Nobel laureate Linus Pauling concluded from earlier placebo-controlled trials that vitamin C would prevent and alleviate the common cold. Over two dozen new trials were undertaken thereafter. Vitamin C has been widely sold and used as a preventive and therapeutic agent.
Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold has been a subject of controversy for 70 years.
To find out whether vitamin C reduces the incidence, the duration or severity of the common cold when used either as a continuous regular supplementation every day or as a therapy at the onset of cold symptoms.
We excluded trials which used less than 0.2 g per day of vitamin C and trials without a placebo comparison. We restricted our review to placebo-controlled trials.
Researchers Say Taking Higher Doses Could Be A Safe And Cost
Numerous scientific trials have shown a positive association between Vitamin C and reduced duration of cold symptoms, but a new study suggests that consumers should go even further when it comes to its intake. Researchers from the University of Helsinki have found that taking up to 8 grams of vitamin C early on in a cold cycle can shorten the sick period by nearly 20%.
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Can A Vitamin C Supplement Really Keep You From Getting Sick
Despite it’s popularity as a remedy for the common cold, there’s actually no evidence to suggest that a large dose of vitamin C can actually prevent one or any other type of illness, for that matter.
And while you may have heard that a large dose of vitamin C can slightly reduce the duration of a cold, this only applies if you take that large dose every singleday of the year even when you’re not sick. This means that if you rip that vitamin C packet open after your symptoms begin, there’s no evidence to suggest it’ll actually shorten the length of your cold.
As it turns out, boosting your immune system is more complicated than just downing a packet or a pill. And while vitamin C does play an important role in supporting your immune system, it doesn’t take megadoses like the ones found in supplements which often contain 1667% more vitamin C than you actually need every day.
Intravenous Administration Of Vitamin C: A Potential Role In The Treatment Of Covid
While an extra dietary intake of vitamin C to counter pneumonia does not seem promising, several interesting data have emerged from the use of vitamin C through IA, providing an encouraging, but questioned, hypothesis on its potential pharmacological use for the treatment of pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV2 infection. In fact, as opposed to oral supplementation, in which the maximum peak plasma concentration that was achieved with a high-dose was 220 mol/L , the IA of vitamin C, bypassing the limitations induced by intestinal transporters , may lead to a higher plasma level .
Therefore, considering the aspects mentioned above, the infusion of vitamin C has recently been suggested to treat COVID-19 in ICU hospitalized patients . Below, we summarize the most substantial evidence obtained in critical illness studies based on IA of vitamin C regarding the most relevant outcomes which may relate to SARS-CoV2-induced ARDS.
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Protection During Coronary Angioplasty Procedures
Coronary arteries are the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood and oxygen. These arteries can become occluded causing myocardial infarction when the heart muscle stops receiving blood. Coronary angioplasty is a procedure where a balloon is inserted inside the blood vessel to gradually stretch it open again and reestablish blood flow.
Although meant to help the heart, coronary angioplasty can itself actually be associated with damage to heart muscle cells in as many as one third of the procedures. A study of 532 patients scheduled to undergo coronary angioplasty showed that three grams of intravenous vitamin C given in the six hours before the procedures significantly prevented heart muscle injury.
Reduce The Duration And Severity Of Colds
Vitamin C deficiency has been associated with frequency and duration of colds, along with immune system defects. While colds arent usually dangerous in themselves, they can lead to pneumonia and other respiratory diseases, especially for aging individuals. Colds can be an early indicator of gaps in immune function that could leave one vulnerable to a cascade of serious infections.
A deficiency of vitamin C broadly affects the various key aspects of immune function, which include the innate system we are born with, the adaptive system that develops from infancy to young adulthood, the cells that kill invaders, the cells that coordinate those attacks, and even the production of antibodies that fight known infections.
Stress is another major trigger for reducing vitamin C levels, leaving the affected individuals vulnerable to infection at precisely the time that stronger immune support is needed.
Indication:
Cold and flu symptoms, seasonal allergies, reduce oxidative stress, protect against free radicals, boost immune system and much more.
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Effects Of Ia Of Vitamin C On Inflammation Markers
Figure 1 Schematic mechanism in which an IA of vitamin C could modulate specific functions of neutrophils , inhibiting pathways involved in the Neutrophil Extracellular Trap formation and reducing the uncontrollable inflammatory cytokine production in the alveolar space. Potential effects on reducing cytokine production have also been speculated in lymphocytes and macrophages. ROS, reactive oxygen species NFkB, nuclear transcription factor kappa B , inhibition stimulus dashed arrow, reduced effect or production.
Mythbusting: The Science On Vitamin C And Colds
Researchers have studied the role that vitamin C, aka ascorbic acid, plays in preventing and treating the common cold for more than 70 years. And spoiler: We still dont quite know all the facts.
A 2013 research review concluded that supplementing your diet with 200 milligrams or more of vitamin C has no impact on the risk of getting a cold. But it does have the potential to shorten the duration of an existing cold and reduce its severity.
Research showed that taking 1 to 8 grams of extra vitamin C per day may lighten your sniffles. A 2006 research review showed that when your body is fighting an infection, the immune cells that store vitamin C get depleted. So, taking more vitamin C when youre sick may improve those cells.
One study found that consuming high doses of vitamin C benefited cold treatment if administered within 24 hours of having cold symptoms and continued for 5 days. Still, the research on whether vitamin C can prevent a cold is inconclusive.
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Larger Doses Of Vitamin C May Lead To A Greater Reduction In Common Cold Duration
- Date:
- University of Helsinki
- Summary:
- The relationship between vitamin C dosage and its effects on the duration of the common cold symptoms may extend to 6-8 grams per day.
The relationship between vitamin C dosage and its effects on the duration of the common cold symptoms may extend to 6-8 grams per day.
Dozens of animal studies using different animal species have found that vitamin C significantly prevents and alleviates infections caused by diverse bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Given the universal nature of the effect of vitamin C against various infections in different animal species, it also seems evident that vitamin C influences the susceptibility to, and the severity of infections in humans. However, the practical importance of vitamin C in human infections is not known.
Dr. Hemilä concludes that “given the consistent effect of vitamin C on the duration of colds, and its safety and low cost, it would be worthwhile for individual common cold patients to test whether therapeutic 8 g/day vitamin C is beneficial for them. Self-dosing of vitamin C must be started as soon as possible after the onset of common cold symptoms to be most effective.” Dr Hemilä also states that further therapeutic trials should be carried out to investigate the dose-response relation in the region of over 8 g/day of vitamin C.
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Mainstream Acceptance Of High Dose Iv Vitamin C
IV vitamin C infusions in the context of cancer are becoming more common and accepted as feasible as adjuncts to traditional cancer treatments.
The National Cancer Institutes reference on high dose IV vitamin C webpage states:
- High dose IV vitamin C is well tolerated alone or in conjunction with other standard cancer therapies.
- Studies have shown that HDIVC improves quality of life and decreases cancer-related toxicities.
- HDIVC appears promising and more research needs to be done with rigorous trials.
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The Risk Of Overdosing On Vitamin C For Colds
Apart from being highly ineffective at large doses, âmega-dosesâ of vitamin C come with risks.
The National Institutes of Health said people shouldnt take more than 2,000mg per day. Any higher and you could get stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea.
Thatâs not all. In one study, Swedish researchers discovered that men taking vitamin C were twice as likely to develop kidney stones compared to people who donât.
So why do we still take them?
When the vitamin industry has an opportunity to broadcast news, distribute literature, anything else, it takes that opportunity, said Dr. StephenBarrett, retired psychiatrist of the accountability site Quackwatch.org.
Is Vitamin C Deficiency Affecting Me
Vitamin C deficiency is common. A 2009 study of 7,277 participants showed that 7.1% of individuals were vitamin C deficient. The Linus Pauling Institute recommends a minimum intake of 400 mg per day for healthy adults.
However, some people are at a high risk for low levels of vitamin C, based on age, lifestyle, and illnesses. Individuals with higher risk for developing a vitamin C deficiency are:
- Smokers. These patients need higher levels of vitamin C intake due to increased oxidative stress. The more cigarettes smoked, the lower the level of vitamin C
- Regular alcohol users. This demographic has low leukocyte vitamin C levels
- The elderly. There is evidence that aging animal liver cells have significantly decreased SCVT1 vitamin C transporters and cellular uptake . This can prohibit vitamin C from getting to or permeating the cells.
- Cancer patients. Most cancer patients have low levels of vitamin C, and chemotherapy and radiation further lower these levels due to increased oxidative stress.
- Individuals with chronic disease and malabsorption issues.
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Can Vitamin C Prevent Or Treat Cold Symptoms
Vitamin C has been studied for many years as a possible treatment for colds, or as a way to help prevent colds. But findings have been inconsistent. Overall, experts have found little to no benefit from vitamin C for preventing or treating the common cold.
In a July 2007 study, researchers wanted to discover whether taking 200 milligrams or more of vitamin C daily could reduce the frequency, duration, or severity of a cold. After reviewing 60 years of clinical research, they found that when taken after a cold starts, vitamin C supplements do not make a cold shorter or less severe. When taken daily, vitamin C very slightly shortened cold duration — by 8% in adults and by 14% in children.
In 2010, researchers looked at all studies and found that taking vitamin C every day did not prevent the number of colds that a person got. In some cases, it made symptoms improve.
The results were different for people who were in very good physical condition, such as marathon runners. People like that who took vitamin C every day cut their risk of catching a cold in half.
So what does all this mean?
According to this research, the average adult who suffers with a cold for 12 days a year would still suffer for about 11 days a year if that person took a high dose of vitamin C every day during that year.
For the average child who suffers about 28 days of cold illness a year, taking daily high-dose vitamin C would still likely mean about 24 days of cold illness.
The Truth About Vitamin C And Colds
A new and comprehensive analysis of studies giving vitamin CWhat it does: Strengthens immune system fights infections. Makes collagen, keeping bones, skin and joints firm and strong. Antioxidant, detoxifying pollutants and protecting against confirms that supplementation does reduce the number of colds, the severity of symptoms and the duration but it all depends on how much you take.
To C or not to C? That is the question and one that has been hotly debated in the context of killing colds. In 1970 twice Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling, who was my teacher and patron of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, wrote a book on vitamin CWhat it does: Strengthens immune system fights infections. Makes collagen, keeping bones, skin and joints firm and strong. Antioxidant, detoxifying pollutants and protecting against and the common cold, arguing that us primates, like the guinea pig and fruit-eating bat, cannot make vitamin C and need much more when fighting an infection.
Following this book, between 1972 and 1975, five placebo controlled studies giving 2 or more grams of vitamin C were published. . Pooling the results together, Professor Harri Hemila from the University of Helsinki showed that there was very strong evidence that colds were shorter or less severe in the vitamin C groups thus confirming that Pauling was right.
Thats the politics so what are the facts? What do you need to do to kill a cold?
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Vitamin C For Colds Is A Cure
Vitamin C for colds? | Image Source: File Photo
The truth is, vitamin C is rarely harmful so thereâs no strict restriction on it. This only cements the notion that itâs a cure-all.
Thereâs a lot of misinformation out there on vitamin C because itâs safe, says Heather Mangieri, a nutritionist who works with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
If you really want to get to the bottom of this notion, you can trace it to Nobel-prize winning scientist Linus Pauling. He believed that vitamin C could cure numerous unrelated ailments. His belief persists to this day, and its one thatâs believed by millions.
Oral Supplementation Of Vitamin C For Patients With Metabolic Disorders Cardiovascular Disease And Frail Elderly Subjects: Potential Relationship With Covid
There are notably some factors that increase the risk of developing SARS-CoV2 infection and affect the severity of COVID-19 . People with pre-existing non-communicable diseases appear to be more susceptible to developing COVID-19 . NCDs include obesity, diabetes mellitus, chronic lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases and various other conditions which are characterized by systemic inflammation which impairs immune response and may exacerbate the cytokine storm related to COVID-19 .
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Effects Of Ia Of Vitamin C On Mortality
Of the critical outcomes considered the potential effect of vitamin C on mortality rates appears to be the most controversial one, with RCTs studies that underline promising results which are not supported by recent meta-analysis. A significant reduction of 28-day mortality during ICU hospitalization was observed in a small group of patients with sepsis treated with IA of vitamin C compared to the control group . More recently, findings from the CITRIS-ALI study showed a reduced mortality at day 28 in the vitamin C group compared to the placebo group . Conversely, according to the meta-analysis of Zhang and Jativa, although vitamin C IA seems to be linked to positive vasopressor effects, temporally reducing the need for mechanical ventilation, no positive effect in favor of overall mortality emerged , leading the authors to conclude that it does seem improbable that vitamin C, considered as a single agent, could be so dramatically decisive on the physiopathology of a critical illness as to influence the incidence of mortality . Similar conclusions were drawn by Wei et al. , who, by including recently published retrospective studies in their meta-analysis, suggest the lack of benefit on 28-day mortality, both in ICU and in-hospital patients with sepsis.
