Vitamin C reduces the frequency and severity of colds and improves physical activity in men with suboptimal vitamin C status
At a Glance: A recent study suggests that vitamin C supplementation may result in
measurable improvements in activity level and decrease the duration and
severity of upper respiratory tract infections in college men with low-to-adequate
vitamin C status during peak cold season.
Although severe vitamin C deficiency resulting in scurvy is a rare occurrence in modern
society, as many as 22% of U.S. adults are believed to have inadequate vitamin C status,
with as many as 6% classified as vitamin C deficient. Insufficiencies are often undiagnosed
because early symptoms of poor vitamin C status are not obvious and may include fatigue,
malaise, depression and irritability. Inadequate vitamin C levels have also been associated
with increased duration and severity of colds during the peak of cold season.
In a new study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers examined the impact of
vitamin C status on physical activity and upper respiratory tract infections during the
winter months.
The participants in this double-blind randomized trial included healthy, nonsmoking
college men, with a marginal plasma vitamin C level, who were not training for or
competing in sports. The men were randomized into one of two groups that received either
1000 mg of vitamin C/day or a placebo. Participants were given a booklet at the beginning
of the study that contained the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey-21, the
Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire, and a short food frequency measure. Over the
course of the eight week study, the men completed the symptom survey daily, and the
exercise and food frequency measures weekly.
During weeks 6-8 of the study, the physical activity score for the vitamin C supplemented
group rose moderately compared to the placebo group. The number of cold episodes
reported during the study was lower in the vitamin C group (7) compared to the placebo
group (11), as was the reported duration of colds (reduced 59% versus placebo).
Although this study was limited by a relatively small sample size, the results suggest that
there may be measurable health advantages associated with vitamin C supplementation in
men with adequate-to-low vitamin C status. Since this study was conducted during winter
months and included only men with similar vitamin C status, more research is needed to
determine whether these results can be extended to other populations and seasons.
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