Q: Is it true that you should take vitamin C to cure a cold?
A: While vitamin C does alleviate the symptoms of the cold, it can actually prolong it. When you have a cold, your body produces good free radicals to kill the virus. These free radicals also are responsible for the symptoms you experience. Vitamin C attacks these free radicals and alleviates the symptoms, but it also inhibits the free radical attack on the virus.
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As a guideline, one cup of orange juice provides more than an adequate amount of vitamin C.
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