Vitamins and Cold/ Flu

[jinkster]

Does anyone else take fairly highly doses of vitamins?

I've been taking a multivitamin, COQ10 and 2 x 1000mg Vit C daily and not had any cold/ flu since taking them, previously i used to get 3 bad colds per year (inc 1 where i had to take time off work) and since nothing.

Luck or do they really work?

[Turn7]

I always go heavy on VIT C and zinc at the first sign of a cold tbh....

[anonymous-user]

If your diet is so poor that you need to supplement it, then why not.

Even if the effect is placebo, no colds is better than 3

[jinkster]

Turn7 said:

I always go heavy on VIT C and zinc at the first sign of a cold tbh....

Sign of a cold I take an extra Vit C, by morning no sign of it - happy days!

Magic cure!

[Turn7]

JPJPJP said:

If your diet is so poor that you need to supplement it, then why not.

Even if the effect is placebo, no colds is better than 3

Do you need steps for that high horse ?

[mcelliott]

I take a 500mg vit c tab everyday along side a pretty good diet, the last cold I got was about 5yrs ago.

[Derek Smith]

Turn7 said:

JPJPJP said:

If your diet is so poor that you need to supplement it, then why not.

Even if the effect is placebo, no colds is better than 3

Do you need steps for that high horse ?

There's been a lot of research on the efficacy of taking additional vitamin supplements. They almost all show there are no benefits as long as you eat a fairly balanced diet. Few westerners need additional suplements except in particular circumstances, such as pregnancy, no sunlight, expecially for those who are less than young, but otherwise they are a waste of money. Some of the recommended dosages can be harmful, but in general the body excretes the superfluous amounts.

There is the normal placebo effect and, if it works, why not?

The tone is a bit off perhaps, but high horse? He has facts on his side.

[xx99xx]

I take 1000mg of vit C, 4000iu of vit D, 30mg zinc and a handful of other things daily. I had a cold a few weeks ago but wasn't man flu and lasted about 3 days. I think this follows scientific research that vitamins don't prevent a cold but they can shorten the duration of one.

[AlexC1981]

I haven't had a cold all year either, but I'm putting it down to lockdown and the extra precautions due to the coronavirus.

[king arthur]

Derek Smith said:

There's been a lot of research on the efficacy of taking additional vitamin supplements. They almost all show there are no benefits as long as you eat a fairly balanced diet. Few westerners need additional suplements except in particular circumstances, such as pregnancy, no sunlight, expecially for those who are less than young, but otherwise they are a waste of money. Some of the recommended dosages can be harmful, but in general the body excretes the superfluous amounts.

This is generally true except for vitamin D. Deficiency in this vitamin is a global problem, because we tend to work indoors and when we do go out in the sun we cover ourselves up for fear of getting skin cancer. The older you are or the darker your skin, the harder it is to get enough of it from sunshine. The Nordic countries are aware of this and add it to various foods. We don't in the UK. Hence, it's the one vitamin you should supplement with.

[V8covin]

I used to get colds all the time, I had a pretty poor diet with little fruit and veg.
After sorting my diet out I was down to 4 colds a year,with every new season I'd come down with a cold.
3 years ago I started taking a daily omega 3 tablet.Not had a cold since

[LordGrover]

Social distancing and associated measures we're all taking should reduce the incidence of all coughs and colds this Winter. Probably.

[grumbledoak]

I take 4,000 IU Vitamin D since a winter blood test showed me as deficient.

With the murderous cold lurking around every corner I am currently on Quercetin and Zinc too, but I doubt I need them.

[mike9009]

LordGrover said:

Social distancing and associated measures we're all taking should reduce the incidence of all coughs and colds this Winter. Probably.

I currently have a cold. Normally, I get one per year in January (always coincides with my birthday )

My theory. Kids have gone back to school with a less resilient immune systems. Smallest of bugs goes virulent, spreads to parents with less resilient immune system and bang! I reckon the earlier severe lockdown will have weakened immune systems and general bugs will be worse this winter as people won't have the same level of immunity.

I cannot get a COVID test, so sat waiting. Other parents managed to get a test and all have come back negative (same symptoms as mine, cough, sneezing and blocked up noses). So damn frustrating, luckily I can work from home.

[Cheib]

There’s a fair amount of research around that Vitamin D is helpful with respiratory infections....I take a Vit D supplement as I am mildly asthmatic. It really depends on the quality of food you eat as much as the type of food you eat as to whether it has the vitamins and minerals that you might expect it to have.

Clinical study on Vit D and Covid here

https://covid.us.org/2020/09/03/new-study-vitamin-...

Lots of people in the Northern Hemisphere have low Vit D levels in the winter.

There’s a ton of stuff you can read listen to about it. After about 5 mins there’s lots on this YouTube vid about it

https://youtu.be/JVg8opQkQXc

[gregs656]

I decided to take a Vit D supplement (as most people in the northern hemisphere should), and then decided to just take a multivitamin.

I can’t say I notice any difference.

[dhutch]

Basically no. But we are currently trying to get the odd vit d tablet down as we go into winter and as there was suggestion it might help with covid.

Daniel

[MrGman]

I found this interesting relating to vitamin d and COVID

https://youtu.be/V8Ks9fUh2k8

[ORD]

Ah the old ‘just eat a healthy diet’ crew is out. Almost nobody eats this mythical healthy diet. There are various micro nutrients in which huge proportions of the public are deficient (Vit D and selenium are two good examples).

[LordGrover]