“Vitamin C prevents the common cold”

The widespread belief that vitamin C can entirely ward off the common cold largely stems from the influence of Nobel laureate Linus Pauling. In 1970, Pauling published his bestselling book, "Vitamin C and the Common Cold," advocating for high doses of the vitamin as a preventative measure and treatment. His significant scientific reputation lent immense credibility to this idea, spurring widespread public interest and a boom in vitamin C supplement sales. [cite: 1, 3, 21, 25, 26, 27]

However, decades of rigorous scientific investigation, including numerous placebo-controlled trials and comprehensive meta-analyses, have painted a more nuanced picture. While regular vitamin C supplementation does not prevent colds in the general population, studies consistently show it can modestly reduce the duration of cold symptoms (about 8% in adults, 14% in children) and may lessen their severity. [cite: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 1