A vitamin for colds is an easy, healthy way to help you fight a cold. This vitamin A for colds will boost your immune system and reduce the severity of your cold symptoms. It’s that simple! Vitamin A is an essential vitamin that cannot be synthesized by the body and thus must be obtained through our diet. Vitamin A plays a crucial role in vision, bone growth, reproduction, proper immune system function and healthy skin.
Vitamin A For Colds
Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is an essential nutrient for good health and is needed for a number of functions in the body. Vitamin A helps to maintain healthy skin, teeth, bones and vision. It also helps to prevent infections.
Vitamin A is found in many foods including liver, dairy products and dark green leafy vegetables.
Many people have heard of vitamin C as being a natural cold remedy but did you know that vitamin A can also help to relieve the symptoms of a cold?
Vitamin A has been shown to help reduce inflammation in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat which can help reduce blocked sinuses and congestion. This means that it may be useful in reducing sneezing, runny nose and coughs associated with colds and flu’s as well as helping to alleviate sore throats caused by these conditions.
The recommended daily allowance for adults is 900mcg per day but during times when you are feeling under the weather it can be beneficial to increase your intake of this vitamin by eating more foods that contain it or taking supplements specially formulated for boosting immunity such as Viridian Health’s “Vitamin A For Colds” which contains 1000IU of Vitamin A per pill
Vitamin A For Colds
Vitamin A is often called the anti-infective vitamin, and this anti-infective value is believed to be especially operative in the prevention of bacterial invasion of mucous membranes.1 Because of this alleged protective value, substances containing this vitamin are being advocated extensively, without adequate experimental proof, for prophylaxis against the common cold. The common cold and its complications are of such great importance that it seemed desirable to determine whether or not the addition of vitamin A to the diet has any effect on the prevention, duration and severity of the disease. In the present communication we are reporting the results of such a study. Recently, somewhat less detailed and shorter studies have been reported in infants by Wright2 and by Hess and his co-workers.3 Our own investigation has been limited to observations made on young adults.
At the very first sign of cold symptoms, many people reach for Vitamin C, whether in supplements, juices, cough drops, tea, or other forms.
Vitamin C was first touted for the common cold in the 1970s. But despite its widespread use, experts say there’s very little proof that vitamin C actually has any effect on the common cold.
What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is an important vitamin and antioxidant that the body uses to keep you strong and healthy. Vitamin C is used in the maintenance of bones, muscle, and blood vessels. Vitamin C also assists in the formation of collagen and helps the body absorb iron.
Vitamin C is found naturally in vegetables and fruits, especially oranges and other citrus fruits. This key vitamin is also available as a natural dietary supplement in the form of vitamin C pills and vitamin C chewable tablets.
Can Vitamin C Prevent or Treat Cold Symptoms?
Vitamin C has been studied for many years as a possible treatment for colds, or as a way to help prevent colds. But findings have been inconsistent. Overall, experts have found little to no benefit from vitamin C for preventing or treating the common cold.
In a July 2007 study, researchers wanted to discover whether taking 200 milligrams or more of vitamin C daily could reduce the frequency, duration, or severity of a cold. After reviewing 60 years of clinical research, they found that when taken after a cold starts, vitamin C supplements do not make a cold shorter or less severe. When taken daily, vitamin C very slightly shortened cold duration — by 8% in adults and by 14% in children.
In 2010, researchers looked at all studies and found that taking vitamin C every day did not prevent the number of colds that a person got. In some cases, it made symptoms improve.
The results were different for people who were in very good physical condition, such as marathon runners. People like that who took vitamin C every day cut their risk of catching a cold in half.
can i take vitamin c during fever
Fevers consist of an abnormality with your body heat, which causes your temperature to rise 1 degree or more above the average body temperature of 98.6 degrees. There are a variety of reasons why your body temperature rises, but fever is typically caused by fighting off an infection, especially in relation to the cold, flu or other illnesses like pneumonia or gastroenteritis. When fever is in relation to sickness, one remedy often discussed is vitamin C.
General Effects
Vitamin C, also commonly listed as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin necessary for creating collage in most structures of your body, including bones, blood vessels, ligaments, tendons and muscle. Vitamin C is also necessary for absorbing adequate amounts of iron. The vitamin is also required for the synthesis of certain neurotransmitters, especially norepinephrine, which is essential for proper brain function.
Immune System
Vitamin C is essential for the health of your immune system. Vitamin C has been shown to stimulate both the function and production of white blood cells, or leukocytes, for your immune system, according to Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute. White blood cells are specialized defense cells that aid the body in fighting off harmful diseases and other foreign invaders.
Fever
While vitamin C is integral for the function of your immune system, it is often touted as a way to help treat the common cold or respiratory infection, of which a fever is counted as a symptom. The Mayo Clinic says there is not enough current research, as of 2011, to support the use of vitamin C in treating these afflictions or the resulting symptoms, like a fever. But there is promise in vitamin C shortening the length of time you experience symptoms. Meeting the recommended upper limit of vitamin C is 2,000 mg per day can help your immune system stay healthy and increase your chances of fighting off a fever-causing illness.
Dangers
While there is no harm in taking a little extra vitamin C through supplements or natural foods like oranges or carrots, too much can cause unwanted side effects. Additional vitamin C is often exported out of the body through urine, but mega doses, such as 10 g or more, can result in diarrhea, vomiting, heartburn, cramps, headache, kidney stones and insomnia.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF VITAMIN A
Vitamin A is key for good vision, a healthy immune system, and cell growth. There are two types of vitamin A. This entry is primarily about the active form of vitamin A — retinoids — that comes from animal products. Beta-carotene is among the second type of vitamin A, which comes from plants.
The American Heart Association recommends obtaining antioxidants, including beta-carotene, by eating a well-balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains rather than from supplements until more is known about the risks and benefits of supplementation.
High doses of antioxidants (including vitamin A) may actually do more harm than good. Vitamin A supplementation alone, or in combination with other antioxidants, is associated with an increased risk of mortality from all causes, according to an analysis of multiple studies.
Why do people take vitamin A?
Topical and oral retinoids are common prescription treatments for acne and other skin conditions, including wrinkles. Oral vitamin A is also used as a treatment for measles and dry eye in people with low levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A is also used for a specific type of leukemia.
Vitamin A has been studied as a treatment for many other conditions, including cancers, cataracts, and HIV. However, the results are inconclusive.
Most people get enough vitamin A from their diets. However, a doctor might suggest vitamin A supplements to people who have vitamin A deficiencies. People most likely to have vitamin A deficiency are those with diseases (such as digestive disorders) or very poor diets.
How much vitamin A should you take?
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) includes the vitamin A you get from both the food you eat and any supplements you take.
| Category | Vitamin A: Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) in micrograms (mcg) of Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) |
| CHILDREN | |
| 1-3 years | 300 mcg/day |
| 4-8 years | 400 mcg/day |
| 9-13 years | 600 mcg/day |
| FEMALES | |
| 14 years and up | 700 mcg/day |
| Pregnant | 14-18 years: 750 mcg/day 19 years and over: 770 mcg/day |
| Breastfeeding | Under 19 years: 1,200 mcg/day19 years and over: 1,300 mcg/day |
| MALES | |
| 14 years and up | 900 mcg/day |
The tolerable upper intake levels of a supplement are the highest amount that most people can take safely. Higher doses might be used to treat vitamin A deficiencies. But you should never take more unless a doctor says so.
| Category (Children & Adults) | Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) of Retinol* in micrograms (mcg) of Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) |
| 0-3 years | 600 mcg/day |
| 4-8 years | 900 mcg/day |
| 9-13 years | 1,700 mcg/day |
| 14-18 years | 2,800 mcg/day |
| 19 years and up | 3,000 mcg/day |
* There is no upper limit for vitamin A from beta-carotene.
Can you get vitamin A naturally from foods?
Getting enough vitamin A can easily be obtained through a healthy diet.
Good food sources of retinoid vitamin A include:
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Liver
- Fortified skim milk and cereals
Plant sources of vitamin A (from beta-carotene) include sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, and apricots.
What are the risks of taking vitamin A?
- Side effects. Symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include dry skin, joint pain, vomiting, headaches, confusion.
- Interactions. If you take any medicines, ask your doctor if vitamin A supplements are safe. Vitamin A supplements may interact with some birth control pills, some blood thinners, some oral acne medicines, cancer treatments, and many other drugs.
- Risks. Don’t take more than the RDA of vitamin A unless your doctor recommends it. High doses of vitamin A have been associated with birth defects, lower bone density, and liver problems. People who drink heavily or have kidney or liver disease shouldn’t take vitamin A supplements without talking to a doctor.