Recently, due to weather changes and the epidemic of various winter upper respiratory tract pathogens, there has been an increase in the number of people who catch colds. I believe everyone has heard of the must-have three-piece set for colds: "drink water, rest, and supplement vitamin C".
1
Can vitamin C prevent colds?
The latest scientific evidence shows that the use of vitamin C in the short term (3~5 days) after a cold can relieve symptoms and prevent aggravation of the condition. But there is no evidence that high doses of vitamin C can prevent colds.
However, most studies suggest that there is no harm in taking vitamin C during the high incidence of colds or if you already have a cold, especially if you are already deficient in vitamin C.
2
What are the benefits of vitamin C?
For colds, vitamin C mainly plays a therapeutic role in the following aspects.
1 Promotes immune defenses
Vitamin C supports immune cell function and enhances the protective effect of the skin and respiratory mucosa. It can accumulate in neutrophils and macrophages, helping them respond quickly to microbial invasions. In addition, vitamin C can also reduce the efficiency of viral replication.
2 Antioxidants
Vitamins C and E work synergistically to protect sulfhydryl groups from oxidative free radical damage, maintain redox environmental balance, prevent colds and protect the endothelium of blood vessels, prevent atherosclerosis.
3 Anti-inflammatory response
Infection causes macrophages to overactivate, resulting in the production of inflammatory mediators and nitric oxide (NO). Studies have shown that vitamin C can reduce the over-activated immune response, reducing inflammatory markers such as serum ferritin and D-dimer in patients.
3
How can I supplement vitamin C?
Scurvy can be avoided with a daily intake of 10 mg of vitamin C for adults, not less than 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men. The maximum intake should not exceed 200 mg.
Vitamin C is found in fresh fruits and vegetables, with the highest levels found in lemons, oranges, greens and tomatoes.
In our daily lives, we can get enough vitamin C through a balanced diet. However, the physical and chemical properties of vitamin C are not stable, such as long storage time, adding a lot of salt, and simmering time for too long, which will cause vitamin C to be lost in the ingredients.
Therefore, there are a few things to keep in mind when processing vegetables that are high in vitamin C:
1. Put less salt, and the time for stir-frying and simmering should be as short as possible.
2. If it can be eaten raw, it is best to wash it and eat it raw.
3. When cooking vegetables, wash them before cutting them.
4. Stir-fry the vegetables after cutting them and try to shorten the exposure time in the air.
5. Do not use copper utensils to stir-fry, try to use an iron pot.
4
Eat only fruits when you have a cold
Can I get enough vitamin C?
When the disease is sick, the consumption of immune function increases, coupled with the loss of vitamin C due to fever, sweating and other reasons, and the body's demand for vitamin C increases dramatically. The latest research shows that at least 1 gram/day of vitamin C is needed to treat colds, and generally no more than 2 grams/day. However, appetite is often lost during a cold, making it difficult to get enough vitamin C from your daily diet, so dietary supplements or medications need to be considered to increase your intake.
At present, there are a variety of dosage forms of vitamin C on the market, such as vitamin C tablets, vitamin C injection, vitamin C granules, vitamin C effervescent tablets, vitamin C effervescent granules, compound vitamin C sodium chewable tablets, etc. In the case of the common cold, a large amount of vitamin C is also accompanied by a large loss of water, and because vitamin C can be quickly dissolved in water, it is recommended that patients with the common cold use vitamin C tablets or effervescent tablets to supplement, and can appropriately increase water intake when taking.
However, vitamin C supplementation may increase the risk of urinary tract stones and is not suitable for people with a history of gout or urinary tract stones. High doses of vitamin C can also affect blood clotting function, so patients who are taking anticoagulants should not overdose.
Editor: Li Juan
Editor-in-chief: Qin Xia Editor-in-charge: Fan Haidong
Director: Chen Keyi Producer: Ji Ping