Medical Questions & Answers

Question: Does Vitamin C really prevent or treat colds? My mother swears by it, but I’m not so sure.
Unfortunately, no. It would be marvellous if vitamin C (ascorbic acid), or some other compound, could prevent or treat colds. The medical profession would promote it endlessly if it worked. Exhaustive trials have not shown vitamin C to be any more effective than placebo (sugar pills) in dealing with colds.
The placebo effect can be very strong, and if a patient sincerely believes that a particular medication will work, they may rapidly recover.
A well-balanced diet containing food from all the groups (vegetables, fruit, cereals, meat and dairy products) will give you adequate vitamins, and with a reasonable amount of exercise and adequate rest, is probably the best way to promote your own health and prevent viral infections.

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