The vitamin C and the common cold: a narrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2025.85.66914Keywords
Ascorbic Acid, Common Cold, antioxidants, oxidative stress, rhinovirusAbstract
Background: Common cold is a widespread viral infection that despite its usually mild symptoms, contributes to considerable health and economy burden. It remains one of the most frequent human infection. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin with potent antioxidant properties and important roles in immune function. Common dietary sources include for example citrus fruits, kiwi and bell peppers. Because vitamin C levels decline rapidly during infection due to increased metabolic demand and oxidative stress, its potential role in preventing or reducing the severity of the common cold has been widely studied.
Aim: This review aims to evaluate current evidence regarding the use of vitamin C in the prevention and treatment of the common cold, highlighting its infection-related biological functions and potential mechanism of action.
Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted by searching Pubmed and Google Scholar for English language studies investigating the role of Vitamin C in the prevention and management of the common cold.
Results: Regular vitamin C supplementation modestly shortens the duration of colds by about 8% in adults and 14% in children. Current evidence does not show that vitamin C reduces the incidence of the common cold in the general population.
Conclusions: Although vitamin C does not prevent the onset of colds in healthy individuals, it may provide mild symptom relief and reduce illness duration. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of vitamin C, particularly in different populations and under varying conditions of nutritional status.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Paula Marcinkowska, Izabela Brynczka, Klaudia Martyna Patrzykąt, Zofia Gorzoch-Burduk, Julia Puzio, Marta Krzyżaniak, Michał Jezierski, Kinga Popielarska, Ewelina Nowicka, Kamila Wróblewska
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