Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a necessary nutrient, meaning that your body can’t produce it on its own and must get it from the foods you eat or dietary supplements. It has many important functions, including acting as an antioxidant to neutralize harmful molecules in the body and aid in producing collagen. It also helps maintain healthy teeth and bones, aids in wound healing, helps with iron absorption and supports the immune system.
In addition to supporting overall health, vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory agent that can help with symptoms of allergies and colds. Taking vitamin C during these illnesses helps reduce fever, muscle aches, fatigue, runny noses, coughs, and sore throats—and it can even shorten their duration.
When you have a cold or the flu, you are likely to have a lower immune system response than usual. This makes you more susceptible to getting sick again because your immune system isn’t able to fight off infection very well. Vitamin C helps by helping your body produce white blood cells necessary for fighting infection.
For vitamin C to be effective as a treatment for colds and flu, you must take large amounts of it over a prolonged period.
