Amid high cases of cold, flu and other bugs it can be hard to avoid becoming unwell altogether. But if you do catch a cold, one affordable pill may help keep unpleasant symptoms to a minimum.
Studies have found that vitamin C, which occurs naturally in foods such as oranges but can also be bought in supplement form from chemists and supermarkets, may shorten the length of time you are sick for, as well as making symptoms less severe.
Dr Jesse Bracamonte has said that while vitamin C in extra doses cannot prevent colds, it may speed up the recovery process. “So if you were going to have a common cold that lasts about seven days, it may cut it down about 13 hours,” Bracamonte said.
The Mayo Clinic doctor said you can get enough vitamin C through your diet if you are eating enough fruits and vegetables, but you can try a daily supplement to pump it up more. However, he warns not to exceed the recommended dose. “Too much of anything is not necessarily a good thing. You just want to be mindful of how much you’re taking.”
You should not take more than 1,000 of vitamin C a day, the NHS advises
(Image: Daily Mirror)
NHS guidelines suggest that you should aim to have 40 milligrams of vitamin C each day and should not take more than 1,000 milligrams of supplements each day. Taking too much can cause stomach pain and diarrhoea. Most shops sell 500mg vitamin C tablets such as Tesco (where you can get 120 tablets for £4.75) and Boots (where you can get 90 tablets for £5.80). If you want to try getting your vitamin C naturally, you should try Brussels sprouts, blackcurrants, broccoli and potatoes, the NHS advises.
Studies have found that vitamin C can reduce the duration of colds and one research paper published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews states that “given the consistent effect of vitamin C on the duration and severity of colds in the regular supplementation studies, and the low cost and safety, it may be worthwhile for common cold patients to test on an individual basis whether therapeutic vitamin C is beneficial for them”. Another, published in MBC Public Health, found through randomised and double-blind trials that vitamin C “significantly decreased the severity of the common cold” and had an impact on the duration of severe symptoms.
Other ways you can help to reduce cold systems include getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of fluid, such as water, to avoid dehydration. The NHS advises eating healthy food, gargling salt water to soothe a sore throat, drinking hot lemon and honey and breathing in steam to ease a blocked nose – though children should avoid this.
A pharmacist can advise you on what medications to take such as paracetamol and ibuprofen to lower a temperature or decongestant nasal sprays to unblock noses. Vapour rubs to ease chesty coughs in young children may also be recommended.