# Vitamin C won't cure a cold once symptoms start > Research shows taking vitamin C after you get sick doesn't help, but regular doses might offer modest benefits for some people. - Title: Vitamin C won't cure a cold once symptoms start · PolitiFact - Summary: Research shows taking vitamin C after you get sick doesn't help, but regular doses might offer modest benefits for some people. Vitamin C supplements taken… - Keywords: vitamin c, common cold, dietary supplements, immune system, medical research, health myths, politics, fact check, Vitamin, won't, cure, cold - Source: PolitiFact — https://politifact.com/article/2026/oct/16/vitamin-c-common-cold-sick-illness-season - Author: Madison Czopek - Published: 2026-10-16T14:30:05+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: vitamin c, common cold, dietary supplements, immune system, medical research, health myths, politics, fact check ## The vitamin C cold remedy myth When cold symptoms appear, many people reach for vitamin C supplements or orange juice hoping to stop the illness.Brands like Airborne and Emergen-C market products with one thousand milligrams of vitamin C as immune support. ## What vitamin C actually does Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and helps the body absorb iron.It is needed to make wound-healing proteins and is important for the immune system. ## Taking it after symptoms start doesn't work Across trials spanning more than fifty years, providing vitamin C as a treatment immediately after cold symptoms began did not shorten a cold's duration or lessen its severity, according to a two thousand thirteen study… ## Recent research confirms the finding Vitamin C studies published in two thousand sixteen and two thousand twenty-three reiterated that data on the vitamin's effectiveness as a cold treatment lacked consistency and warranted further study. ## What researchers say about trying it anyway In two thousand sixteen, Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions researchers said because vitamin C supplements are inexpensive and relatively safe, people experiencing cold symptoms could reasonably see for themselves if it helps. > see for themselves if therapeutic vitamin C is beneficial, but they should know that the data behind its use are largely inconsistent ## Regular vitamin C may help some people Regular vitamin C consumption, not taking it as acute-care treatment, can have benefits for helping a person's immunity against colds. > regular supplementation before symptoms begin may modestly shorten colds ## Daily vitamin C requirements Adult men need about ninety milligrams of vitamin C each day, and women need about seventy-five milligrams. A person's daily vitamin intake shouldn't exceed two thousand milligrams. ## Vitamin C doesn't prevent colds for most people Regularly administered vitamin C does not affect how often people in the general population develop common colds, according to the two thousand thirteen Cochrane review. ## Benefits for people under physical stress People might benefit if they engage in intense physical activity or are exposed to cold temperatures. ## Modest reduction in cold duration A vitamin C supplement of zero point two grams per day reduced a cold's duration by about eight percent in adults and fourteen percent in children. ## What that reduction means in practice If you were going to have a common cold that lasts about seven days, regular vitamin C supplementation may cut it down about thirteen hours, according to Dr. Jesse Bracamonte, a Mayo Clinic family physician. > If you were going to have a common cold that lasts about seven days, it may cut it down about thirteen hours ## Researchers question whether it's worth it The Cochrane review researchers concluded that this level of benefit does not justify long-term supplementation in its own right, particularly when people tend to get some vitamin C from their normal, balanced diet. > this level of benefit does not justify long‐term supplementation in its own right ## The practical question remains open Students or workers who have to budget their vacation or sick time may reach a different conclusion about whether the modest reduction in cold duration is worth taking regular vitamin C supplements. ## Key takeaway Vitamin C supplements taken after cold symptoms appear do not shorten or ease colds, but regular consumption may modestly reduce duration for some groups.