It is common that it is worth consuming products with a high vitamin C content, as well as take large doses of ascorbic acid to accelerate recovery. We decided to check if there is evidence of the healing properties of this vitamin.
By data Analytical company Nielsen, Vitamins-the first most popular product in online apotch. In ordinary pharmacies, vitamin C, or ascorbic, as it is called in everyday life, is most often sold right at the checkout or offered at any purchase. Bloggers And Manufacturers At the first signs of colds, vitamins are advised to take vitamin C. according to one treatment regimen, should be immediately accept shock dose, and then maintain the level, others Recommend Distribute it in several tricks during the day.
Ascorbic acid - an organic compound that is used not only in pharmacology, but also in food industry, cosmetology, analytical Chemistry And even when manifesting Photos. S. Zilva received her from lemon juice, for the first time in crystalline form, she was Highlighted In 1928, the Hungarian-American chemist A. St. Dirdi from the adrenal glands of animals and several plants, and in 1933, thanks to W. Howors, she became the first synthesized vitamin. Both Saint-Dirdy and Howors received Nobel prizes for their discoveries: St. Derdy-in physiology and medicine, and Howors-in chemistry.
In medicine, ascorbic acid has Many indications for use: hypovitaminosis C, diathesis, bleeding, including nasal, pulmonary, uterine, intoxication, including chronic intoxication with iron drugs, alcoholic and infectious delirium, acute radiation disease, liver disease (Botkin's disease, chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis), gastrointestinal tract (ahilia, pussy disease especially after bleeding, enteritis, colitis), etc. It is recommended for physical and mental overload, after fractures and burns, as well as during pregnancy (especially multiple).
The assertion that vitamin C strengthens immunity and helps in the treatment of a cold, widely It spread In 1970 - after the release of the book of the Nobel laureate in chemistry and the winner of the Nobel Prize of the world Lineus Karl Polinger "Vitamin C and Health." The scientist, relying only on theoretical reasoning and the electoral approach to the sources, calculated the necessary daily dose for a person in 5 g. His book became a real bestseller, and in 1972 he created and headed the Institute for the development of methods for extending life. In addition to the use of high doses of vitamin C to strengthen immunity and protect against colds, Lainus Pauling proposed to extend the life of oncological patients with it, to treat them with atherosclerosis, diabetes and gout. However, not one of his experiments was recognized as a reliable clinical test.
To understand whether vitamin C has a positive effect on immunity, you need to figure out how the immune system is arranged that protects a person from various pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, cancer cells). Immunity is divided into congenital (phagocytes, leukocytes) and acquired (antibodies). Phagocytes and leukocytes are able to accumulate vitamin C., in turn, protects these types of cells from oxidative damage and the negative effect of free radicals. When the pathogen enters the body of pathogen Produce Substances (chlorine acid and peroxinitrite), which, by killing pathogen, can damage the cells themselves. Antioxidant properties of vitamin C contribute In this case, the protection of cells of the immune system from self -confusion. Also ascorbic acid Increases the production of interferons with leukocytes, Raises Hemotactic (motor) ability of phagocytes and, according to some reports, helps to increase the number of lymphocytes responsible for the recognition and destruction of the pathogen. Thus, vitamin C really plays an important role in the operation of the immune system.
Moreover, the daily need for it It is 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg for women. Some factors increase the body's needs in ascorbic acid: pregnancy (required 85 mg), lactation (120 mg), as well as smoking (additional 35 mg). Thus, the most necessary dose will be 155 mg of simultaneously a nursing and smoking woman. Moreover, vitamin C There is In many vegetables and fruits. For example, one orange contains about 80%of the daily norm, in green sweet pepper - about 100%, and in broccoli - 107%. Vitamin C does not accumulate in the body, but is excreted by the excretory system. So with a diverse diet in its use in the form of additives there is neither necessity nor meaning.
Kokrainovsky review (key source of information in the field of evidence -based medicine) is confirms: “Regular use of vitamin C [in a dosage of 200 mg] did not affect the incidence of colds in the usual population, which is based on 29 comparisons from clinical trials that affected 11,306 participants.” However, the researchers continue, “the regular use of vitamin C had a modest, but consistent (consistent) effect, which consisted in reducing the duration of the symptoms of a cold, which is based on 31 comparison of the studies of 9745 episodes of the common cold”. As a result, the authors conclude that further clinical studies are needed to conclude about the effectiveness of the treatment of a cold by vitamin C.
Also, scientists from the Kokrainsky collaboration conducted study, in which 11,000 children and adults took part. Those who took from 200 mg of vitamin C per day, on average had symptoms of colds by only 10% less, that is, with an average duration of the disease in ten days, they recovered for nine.
Moreover, as a result of the analysis of seven studies, there was proventhat the intake of vitamin C after the onset of symptoms of the disease is no more effective than taking an ordinary placebo.
It is important to note that a significant excess of the daily dose is dangerous. Excess vitamin C can bring to the occurrence of kidney stones, call nausea, vomiting and allergic Reactions.
Thus, although vitamin C really plays an important role in our immune system, the necessary daily norm can be obtained from food, without resorting to additives. A regular preventive technique of vitamin C in a dosage of 200 mg slightly reduces the duration of a cold and its severity, however, to start taking vitamin C, already feeling the symptoms of a cold, is useless.
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