Researchers in the Republic of Korea conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial on soldiers who enlisted in the Korea Army Training Centre to see if vitamin C supplements could help prevent the common cold.

The subjects took either vitamin C (2,000 mg three times per day) or placebo for 30 days and were monitored for symptoms. Out of 1,444 subjects, 695 received vitamin C. That group had a 20 percent lower chance of contracting a cold than the placebo group. The benefit was greater among those who had never smoked.

The authors concluded, “Vitamin C intake [reduced] common colds in Korean army soldiers. Our results may serve as a basis for introducing military healthcare policies that can provide vitamin C supplementation for military personnel in basic military training.”

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient — we can’t produce it in our bodies and we can’t live without it. Therefore, we must ingest an adequate amount from our diet.

Like other vitamins and minerals, the vitamin C content in our food supply has been declining over the last few decades. Not surprisingly, vitamin C levels in patients I have tested over the last 20 years have been mostly suboptimal.

Vitamin C helps the immune system recover faster from an infection. I suggest taking 3,000 mg to 5,000 mg per day of vitamin C to saturate the red and white blood cells.