Vitamin C supplementation reduces the odds of developing a common cold in Republic of Korea Army recruits: randomised controlled trial

IntroductionThe Republic of Korea (ROK) military has a high incidence of respiratory diseases at training centres. Vitamin C has been reported to reduce the incidence of colds. For the purpose of preventing soldiers' respiratory diseases, this study aimed to investigate whether vitamin C intake can prevent common colds in the ROK Army soldiers.MethodsThis was a randomised, placebo-controlled, and double-blind trial of soldiers who enlisted in the Korea Army Training Centre for 30 days from 12 February to 13 March 2018. The study participants were divided into groups (vitamin C vs placebo). The military medical records were searched to determine whether the participants had a common cold. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the association between vitamin C intake and diagnosis of common colds. In addition, subgroup analysis on the relationship between vitamin C intake and common cold according to smoking status, training camp and physical rank was conducted.ResultsA total of 1444 participants were included in our study. Of these participants, 695 received vitamin C (6000 mg/day, vitamin C group), while 749 participants received placebo (0 mg/day, placebo group). The vitamin C group had a 0.80-fold lower risk of getting a common cold than did the placebo group. Subgroup analyses showed that this effect was stronger among subjects in camp A, among never smokers and among those in physical rank 3.ConclusionVitamin C intake provides evidence to suggest that reducing the common colds in Korean Army soldiers. Our results may serve as a basis for introducing military healthcare policies that can provide vitamin C supplementation for military personnel in basic military training.

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Vitamin C intake and susceptibility to the common cold

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114500002889 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 77 (1) ◽

pp. 59-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

Harri Hemilä

Keyword(s):

Vitamin C ◽

Common Cold ◽

Potential Effect ◽

Dietary Vitamin ◽

High Dose ◽

Plasma Vitamin ◽

Vitamin C Supplementation ◽

The Common ◽

The Uk

Although the role of vitamin C in common cold incidence had been studied extensively, the level of vitamin C intake has not been unequivocally shown to affect the incidence of colds. In the present study the six largest vitamin C supplementation (≥ 1 g/d) studies, including over 5000 episodes in all, have been analysed, and it is shown that common cold incidence is not reduced in the vitamin C-supplemented groups compared with the placebo groups (pooled rate ratio (RR) 0·99; 95% CI 0·93, 1·04). Consequently these six major studies give no evidence that high-dose vitamin C supplementation decreases common cold incidence in ordinary people. Nevertheless, the analysis was continued with the hypothesis that vitamin C intake may affect common cold susceptibility in specific groups of people. It was assumed that the potential effect of supplementation might be most conspicuous in subjects with low dietary vitamin C intake. The average vitamin C intake has been rather low in the UK and plasma vitamin C concentrations are in general lower in males than in females. In four studies with British females vitamin C supplementation had no marked effect on common cold incidence (pooled RR 0·95; 95% CI 0·86, 1·04). However, in four studies with British male schoolchildren and students a statistically highly significant reduction in common cold incidence was found in groups supplemented with vitamin C (pooled RR 0·70; 95% CI 0·60, 0·81). Thus, these studies with British males indicate that vitamin C intake has physiological effects on susceptibility to common cold infections, although the effect seems quantitatively meaningful only in limited groups of people and is not very large.

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Vitamin C supplementation and common cold symptoms: Problems with inaccurate reviews

Nutrition ◽

10.1016/s0899-9007(96)00223-7 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 12 (11-12) ◽

pp. 804-809 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Harri Hemilä

Keyword(s):

Vitamin C ◽

Common Cold ◽

Vitamin C Supplementation

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Vitamin C supplementation and common cold symptoms: factors affecting the magnitude of the benefit

Medical Hypotheses ◽

10.1054/mehy.1997.0639 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 52 (2) ◽

pp. 171-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

H. Hemilä

Keyword(s):

Vitamin C ◽

Common Cold ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Vitamin C Supplementation

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Vitamin C as a Supplementary Therapy in Relieving Symptoms of the Common Cold: A Meta-Analysis of 10 Randomized Controlled Trials

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/8573742 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Li Ran ◽

Wenli Zhao ◽

Hongwu Wang ◽

Ye Zhao ◽

Huaien Bu

Keyword(s):

Vitamin C ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Antiviral Therapy ◽

Common Cold ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Vitamin C Supplementation

Aim. To investigate whether vitamin C performs well as a supplemental treatment for common cold. Method. After systematically searching through the National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Elsevier, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP databases, and Wanfang databases, 10 randomized controlled trials were selected for our meta-analysis with RevMan 5.3 software. Published in China, all 10 studies evaluated the effect of combined vitamin C and antiviral therapy for the treatment of common cold. Results. The total efficacy (RR=1.27, 95% CI (1.08, 1.48), P=0.003), the time for symptom amelioration (MD=−15.84, 95% CI (-17.02, -14.66), P<0.00001), and the time for healing (I, 95% CI (-14.98, -4.22), P=0.0005) were better with vitamin C supplementation than with antiviral therapy alone. Conclusions. Vitamin C could be used as a supplementary therapy along with antiviral regimens to relieve patients from the symptoms of common cold.

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Striae Gravidarum, Vitamin C and Other Related Factors

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831/a000049 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 81 (1) ◽

pp. 43-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rahime Bedir Findik ◽

Nurcihan Karakurt Hascelik ◽

Kadir Okhan Akin ◽

Ayse Nurcan Unluer ◽

Jale Karakaya

Keyword(s):

Family History ◽

Vitamin C ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Blood Levels ◽

Significant Relation ◽

Related Factors ◽

Thigh Circumference ◽

Striae Gravidarum

Background: Striae gravidarum, a clinical condition commonly seen in pregnant women, produces serious cosmetic problems and may lead to psychological problems. Aim: The present study investigated whether there was any relation between the presence of striae in primigravid pregnant women and blood vitamin C levels, and factors thought to contribute to the formation of striae such as family history, weight gained during pregnancy, smoking status, abdominal and thigh circumference, and age. Methods: Overall, 69 primigravid women attending routine antenatal follow-up and, using prophylactic iron and vitamin preparations, underwent investigation. All were pregnant 36 or more weeks. Scoring was based on striae examination and whether striae were present. The relation between the presence of striae, vitamin C blood levels, and other factors was investigated. Results and Conclusions: Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant relation between the presence of striae and blood vitamin C levels (p = 0.046) and between the presence of striae and family history (p = 0.023). No significant relation was found between the presence of striae and age, weight gained during pregnancy, abdominal and thigh circumference, or smoking status. It was concluded that further, more comprehensive studies on the issue are required.

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The effect of 2 weeks vitamin C supplementation on immunoendocrine responses to 2.5 h cycling exercise in man

Yearbook of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1016/s0162-0908(08)70193-4 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 2007 ◽

pp. 240

Author(s):

D.C. Nieman

Keyword(s):

Vitamin C ◽

Cycling Exercise ◽

Vitamin C Supplementation

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Current updates on COVID-19 - A review

International Journal of Novel Trends in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijntps.v10i1.1141 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Ghotekar D S ◽

Vishal N Kushare ◽

Sagar V Ghotekar

Keyword(s):

World Health Organization ◽

Common Cold ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽

Hubei Province ◽

World Health ◽

The World ◽

The Common ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness such as respiratory diseases or gastrointestinal diseases. Respiratory diseases can range from the common cold to more severe diseases. A novel coronavirus outbreak was first documented in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. A global coordinated effort is needed to stop the further spread of the virus. A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been identified in humans previously. Once scientists determine exactly what coronavirus it is, they give it a name (as in the case of COVID-19, the virus causing it is SARS-CoV-2).

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