The vitamin has many benefits, but research shows that people who take it are just as likely to get the sniffles as those who don’t
‘V
itamin C is important for your health in lots of ways,” says Daniel M Davis, the head of life sciences at Imperial College London. It is a strong antioxidant, helping protect cells from harmful unstable compounds that arise from toxins and pollution. It helps the body absorb iron, and is also used in the production of collagen. “But the idea that taking high doses of vitamin C – or drinking lots of orange juice – will stop you catching a cold, or help you recover faster, is a myth.”
Davis, the author of Self Defence: A Myth-Busting Guide to Immune Health, explains that the popular belief in vitamin C’s cold-fighting powers has persisted for more than 50 years, “pretty much solely because of the evangelical view of one man: Linus Pauling”.
A double Nobel prize winner and one of the most influential chemists of the 20th century, Pauling made a major contribution to our understanding of vitamins. However, he exaggerated vitamin C’s benefits. Pauling’s 1970 book Vitamin C and the Common Cold became a bestseller, explains Davis, sparking such high demand that factories were built to keep up with supplement production.
