Naturopathic healers and some medical doctors believe that high doses of vitamin C can prevent the common cold or at least reduce the duration of symptoms. This has led to a boon in the "natural" remedy of vitamin C in the field of alternative medicine and the administration of high vitamin C dosages by some doctors.
The federal recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men with an additional 35 mg for smokers. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/
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Health Communities, a website "dedicated to educating users about diseases, conditions and overall well-being" provides naturopath advice on treating the common cold. Included in their nutrient recommendations is to take 500-1000mg of vitamin C every two hours.
The Linus Pauling Institute was founded by two-time Nobel Prize winning chemist Dr. Linus Pauling who is considered a pioneer in nutrient research. The institute provides a wealth of information on the applications of high dose vitamin C, including studies on the common cold.
According to the institute, studies show "
a benefit of regular vitamin C supplementation was also seen in the duration of colds, with a greater benefit in children than in adults: the pooled effect of vitamin C supplementation was a 14% reduction in cold duration in children and an 8% reduction in adults."
Naturopathic doctor Michael T. Murray has published more than 30 books about a natural health approach, and he says a "new study shows vitamin C does help fight the common cold." According to Murray, "In a randomized, double-blind, 8-week controlled trial conducted at Arizona State University, vitamin C supplementation was found to be associated with reductions in the incidence of the common cold and increases in physical activity levels."
The Vitamin C Foundation includes high doses of vitamin C in its list of "Surefire Cures for the Common Cold or the Flu!" The foundation is "a consortium of physicians and other practitioners, healthcare activists, and other concerned Individuals, as well as of health and nutrition oriented organizations and nutrient suppliers — all of whom are dedicated to promoting the extraordinary therapeutic value of vitamin C." The foundation suggests high vitamin C doses of 8000 mg every 20 minutes for several hours after cold or flu symptoms appear.
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Doctor Yourself, which claims to be the "World's Largest Health Homesteading website," not only recommends high doses of vitamin C for colds, but also for flu and pneumonia. The site proclaims, "The further you've gone down the path of sickness, the more 'C' it will take to heal. The faster a locomotive is going, the more braking power it takes to stop it. Dr. Linus Pauling says to start taking more C at the very first sniffle. Good idea."
This article is for information only and is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor about your specific health and medical needs.
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