Can Vitamin C Cure Your Cold?

Plain Vitamin C from my own experience does little or nothing. Ester C however is for me a different story. I began using Ester C after I got over the flu two years ago and have only been sick with a cold once since then. I went all of last winter without any illness for I believe the first time in my whole life. Go figure.

maybe you got lucky not getting a cold during the whole winter.
i heard supposely more people get cold during winter is because people get less sunlight which is required for your body to manufacture chemicals to boost the immune system. so abit of sunlight is good for you but don't overdo it sunlight is also required for your body to make vitamin D.
i also think eating more "healthy" stuff and getting some exercise blah blah blah you all know that. can put less strain on your immune system reducing your chance of getting a cold.

i tried zycam, if that's the spelling dunno, but it's a zink product, you cram a cotton swab up your nose and it applies the medicine, well it didn't work and my nose hurt for the rest of the day. i just try not to touch my eyes at all unless i wash my hands. most germs seem to hit you from touching things and your eye is a great place for it to infect you, i hardly ever get sick.

I think I read somewhere that vitamin c does nothing for a cold. But it can't be bad to eat fruit; it'll keep your body healthy and allow it to fight off infections easier.

I take echinacea when I get a cold; again it probably does nothing but I suppose it has placebo effects.

Before you used Ester C. how many colds/illnesses did you have in a year? If you need supplements to keep you well/healthy, it just means you have a weak immune system, i guess has a child you wasnt exposed to viruses, germs, bacteria, because if you was exposed you wouldnt be having to take supplements, but like you say Ester C is keeping you healthy and nothing succeeds like success... stay healthy

also cold weather takes up energy to stay warm, which stresses the imune system

Rapid changes from very cold to hot and stuffy inside aren't good either.

People spend more time clustered together inside, spreading germs into confined warm living spaces.

that's what I figure the winter and colds is all about anyway...

Vitamin C could help you a lot. but not that much. but a regular intake could at least make you healthy.

After you get a cold, I dont think vitamn C is going to do much for you...There are lots of things that can help you avoid a cold (handwashing being a biggie), but it seem like once you have a cold, rest and hydration will help a lot...then everybody has their own little thing that they do that they feel will help. Tabasco sauce...orange juice...tomato juice...4 glasses of water an hour...I have heard several people talk about ester c...My wife used to swear by Echinacea....then it was zinc...

It is so hard to tell what helps after you have a cold...hopefully we can all avoid colds this year and not have to try and figure what speeds up the healing process...

These are all very good points, and as several have said here, it all boils down to having a good immune system. I will admit that I don't always eat as healthy as I should, or how I prefer too, so I do take super-antioxidants ( Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins) in an isotonic form.

Not only have I found that taking super-antioxidants helps improve my immune system even during stressful situations, but it also provides free radical scavenging abilities which are beneficial in a world filled with smog, pollution and other various unseen toxins. Impressive studies have shown many more benefits in relation to health. I also supplement with absorbable vitamins/minerals when needed. I average a cold about once every 3 years, and I've only had the flu once since I've been an adult.

Like Fluffybunny said, washing the hands and keeping them away from the mouth, eyes and nose is a biggie.

Ghostdancer...congrats on your success with Ester C.


edit:typo

true.. I heard some rumors that when you are sick and you intake vitamin c's you would end up helping the virus.. is it true?

The virus itself has no need for vitamins; the virus just works by making its way into cells and going about its business. The original idea of the vitamin c helping came from the early 70's and has been shown to be less than accurate. Viamin C does definately help you and is very needed by your body, for a lot of different processess but moreso before you get sick. From what I have read, large doses of c once you are sick dont seem to do much at all from a clinical standpoint. There was a time when they thought megadoses would help a lot, but that just isnt the case anymore, there isnt enough evidence to support it.

Everyody has their own remedy though on what they feel works best for them and I dont want to say that it is impossible that for some people vitamon c wont help on some level.

I'm a firm believer in the powers of Vit C as an antihistamine (sp?) I take a lot during the allergy season.

From reading studies about "Vit C does not do anything," you can find that the studies are usually done with amounts close to the RDA of 200 mg. That is pitifully LOW.

My rag weed allergies are totally brutal, but about 5000 mgs of Vit C and all the symptoms are gone. I cannot get that relief with any allergy medicine. Pretty much the same thing with colds.

I believe in what experience teaches me.

for your allergies have you tried small amounts daily (teaspoon) of honey, its has to be from a hive within 5 miles of your house, because when your a child and you eat honey from your area it gives you small amounts of local pollens and bit by bit it lets your immune system build up a defence, so you dont get allergies later in life, but i wonder if it would work for you now?

If your going to eat anything supplement wise get on the Goji berries, my dad had high cholesterol started taking 8 berries every morining and the doctor said his cholesterol had gone down to normal, and it was down to the goji's.

Garlic, honey, Onion, Elderberry, are all great foods....

I must admit, I never take any supplements at all. The only medicine I took once was for flu, which had me laid up for days and days, "Lemsip for colds and flu" I think it was, it didn't make it go, but the taste was quite nice

Fluffybunny is, in my opinion, correct regarding taking supplements or extra vitamins once the cold has taken hold. The cold would now have to run its course. It is the same as these capsules you can take that will suppress a cold, it will only suppress it, it will not make it go away. Good to take in an emergency though I guess.

I remember hearing years ago that a cold should last roughly three days (this is the sniffly nose, sneezing and permanent tissue job), if it takes anymore time than that to start clearing up, it is not a cold but some other virus. I don't know how true that is mind, you could end up getting a cold on top of a cold - nasty.

Lotus flower, im i right in saying, if you have a cold runny nose and high temperature it means you have a Virus (because the bodies defence against a virus is to warm the body temperature up high to hopefully kill the virus off, and if you have a bacterial infection you get stomach pains and even the two bob bits. ?

I highly recommend hot lemon juice with a spoon of honey and a large splash (well, more of a 'glug' ) of whiskey

It doesn't cure the cold, but after 4-5 of them, you don't really care any more

Meow Purr.

two bob bits

To be honest, I have never heard of that before, but it would make sense!

I mean, if somebody has a "stomach bug" they will be vomiting and have the runs - the bug being the bacteria, but a cold "virus" does not do that. Very, very interesting about the body temperature warming up to hopefully kill off the virus by the way.

Your whole post, in my opinion, makes sense and indeed, perhaps that is exactly how it works.