Vitamin C and the Common Cold -papers
by Harri Hemilä
The papers on
the common cold are
divided in categories and if the same paper falls into several
categories, it is listed in each of them
- Cochrane Review on vitamin C
and the common
cold
- Other reviews on vitamin C and the common cold
- Vitamin C and the incidence
of colds
- Vitamin C and common cold
duration
and severity
- Vitamin C and complications
of the
common cold: exacerbation of asthma
- Linus Pauling and the common
cold
- Letters
and commentaries
Cochrane Review on vitamin C
and the common
cold
On
Oct 2022, this review had the Altmetric score 3382, which was
position 1439 out of all the 22,246,158 outputs, and 5th of the
Cochrane reviews:
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/AltmetricVitC_Colds_2022Oct.htm#score
On June 2020, this review had the Altmetric score 2793, which was position 659 out of all the 15,217,902 outputs:
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/AltmetricVitC_Colds_2020Jun.htm#score
On February 2020, this review had Altmetric score 1944, which was the highest of 10900 Cochrane reviews:
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/AltmetricVitC_Colds_2020Feb.htm#score
On February 2018, this review had Altmetric score 1359, which was the highest of 8855 Cochrane reviews:
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/AltmetricVitC_Colds_2018Feb.htm#score
Hemilä H, Chalker EB.
Vitamin C for preventing and
treating the common cold.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev
2013; CD000980
https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc8078152/
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/225864
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/CC/2013_Coch_Colds_CD000980.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440782
References to the review and updated 2016 version:
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/CC
Commentaries on ‘Vitamin C
for Preventing and Treating the Common Cold’ with a response from the
review author
[Reply to Bax, Spee and Madderom].
[Reply to Shamseer and Vohra].
Evidence-Based
Child Health: A Cochrane Review Journal 2008;3:724-728
https://doi.org/10.1002/ebch.261
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/228088
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/2008_L_EBCH.pdf
Summary in
French
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/French.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/French.pdf
German
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/German.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/German.pdf
Spanish
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/CD000980_es_abstract.pdf
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Spanish.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Spanish.pdf
Portuguese
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Portuguese.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Portuguese.pdf
Polish
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Polski.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Polski.pdf
Russian
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Russian.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Russian.pdf
Chinese mandarin
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Chinese_1.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Chinese_1.pdf
Chinese old
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Chinese_2.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Chinese_2.pdf
Japanese
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Japanese.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Japanese.pdf
Korean
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Korean.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Korean.pdf
Tamili
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Tamili.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Tamili.pdf
Malay
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Malay.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/Malay.pdf
Other reviews on vitamin C and the common cold
Summary
of vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc lozenge studies on the common
cold:
Hemilä H.
Vitamins and minerals
[book chapter].
In: "Common cold " (Eccles R, Weber O, eds.) Birkhauser
Verlag, 2009:275-307
Abstract
and references:
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/birkhauser
Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-9912-2_13
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-9912-2
https://www.amazon.com/Common-Birkh%C3%A4user-Advances-Infectious-Diseases/dp/3764398949
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/common-cold-ronald-eccles/1136783297
A manuscript version:
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/228060
Douglas RM, Hemilä H. Vitamin
C for
preventing and treating the common cold.
PLoS Med 2005;2:e168
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0020168
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc1160577/
Hemilä H. Vitamin C,
respiratory
infections, and the immune system.
Trends Immunol 2003;24:579-580
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2003.09.004
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc7129436/
Hemilä H, Douglas RM. Vitamin
C and
acute respiratory infections.
Int J TB Lung Disease
1999;3:756-761
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/1999/00000003/00000009/art00004
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1999_IJTLD.pdf
Vitamin C and the incidence
of colds
Although
there is strong evidence that vitamin C does not decrease the averge
incidence of colds in the general community, there is strong evidence
that some sub-populations benefit of vitamin C, so that colds are
prevented in them:
Hemilä H. Prophylactic
benefit of vitamin C in large trials (Table 20).
In: Do vitamins C and E affect respiratory infections? Thesis
2006 pp. 44
https://hdl.handle.net/10138/20335
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6395595
Strong evidence that
in some conditions males and females differ:
Hemilä H. Vitamin C and
sex
differences in respiratory tract infections.
Respir Med
2008;102:625-626
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2007.12.011
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10250/8280
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/2008_L_RespMed.pdf
Effects
of vitamin C on military personnel may be explained by heavy physical
stress and crowding of people:
Hemilä H. Vitamin C
supplementation
and respiratory infections: a systematic review. Mil Med
2004;169:920-925
https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED.169.11.920
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_2004.pdf
Dietary
vitamin C had no correlation with common cold incidence in middle-aged male
smokers
Hemilä H, Kaprio J, Albanes D, Heinonen OP, Virtamo J.
Vitamin C, vitamin E and
beta-carotene in
relation to common cold incidence in male smokers.
Epidemiology
2002;13:32-37
https://doi.org/10.1097/00001648-200201000-00006
https://www.jstor.org/pss/3703244
https://hdl.handle.net/10138/18059
Studies
with males in the UK found
decrease in common cold incidence; the explanation may be low dietary
vitamin C intake when the trials were carried out:
Hemilä H. Vitamin C
intake and
susceptibility to the common cold.
Br J Nutr 1997;77:59-72
[Discussion in: 1997;78:857-866, see below]
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114500002889
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/13886
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1997_BJN.pdf
Discussion:
Hemilä H. Vitamin C intake and
susceptibility to the common cold – Reply.
Br J Nutr
1997;78:861-866
https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN19970201
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/223364
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1997_BJN2.pdf
Another
presentation of the UK study findings:
Hemilä H. Prophylactic
effect of vitamin C on recurrent colds in the UK trials (Table 22).
In: Do vitamins C and E affect respiratory infections? Thesis
2006 pp. 46-47
https://hdl.handle.net/10138/20335
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6395595
The
first meta-analysis on the effect
of vitamin C on people under heavy short-term physical stress which was
based on 3 RCTs
Hemilä H. Vitamin C and
common cold
incidence: a review of studies with subjects under heavy physical
stress.
Int J Sports Med 1996;17:379-383
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-972864
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/225881
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1996_IJSM.pdf
>=1 g/day of vitamin C
does not prevent colds:
Hemilä H. Does vitamin C
alleviate
the symptoms of the common cold? A review of current evidence.
Scand J Infect Dis 1994;26:1-6
https://doi.org/10.3109/00365549409008582
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/228102
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1994.pdf
>=1 g/day of vitamin C
does not prevent colds:
Hemilä H. Vitamin C and
the common
cold.
Br J Nutr 1992;67:3-16
https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN19920004
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1992.pdf
Vitamin C and common cold
duration
and severity
Vitamin
C halved the duration of colds in male adolescent swimmers but not in
female adolescent swimmers:
Constantini NW, Dubnov-Raz G, Eyal BB, Berry EM, Cohen AH, Hemilä H.
The effect of vitamin C
on upper
respiratory infections in adolescent swimmers: a randomized trial.
Eur J Pediatrics 2011;170:59-63
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-010-1270-z
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/228085
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_2011_EurJPediatr.pdf
Effects
of vitamin C on military personnel may be explained by heavy physical
stress or/and crowding of people:
Hemilä H. Vitamin C
supplementation
and respiratory infections: a systematic review.
Mil Med
2004;169:920-925
https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED.169.11.920
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_2004.pdf
On
average the benefit of vitamin
C has been greater in adults than in children, and with a dose of >=2
g/day compared with 1 g/day.
Hemilä H. Vitamin C
supplementation
and common cold symptoms: factors affecting the magnitude of the
benefit.
Med Hypotheses 1999;52:171-178
https://doi.org/10.1054/mehy.1997.0639
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/223761
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1999_MH.pdf
>=1 g/day of vitamin C
shortens and alleviates colds:
Hemilä H. Does vitamin C
alleviate
the symptoms of the common cold? A review of current evidence.
Scand J Infect Dis 1994;26:1-6
https://doi.org/10.3109/00365549409008582
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/228102
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1994.pdf
>=1 g/day of vitamin C
shortens and alleviates colds:
Hemilä H. Vitamin C and
the common
cold. Br J Nutr 1992;67:3-16
https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN19920004
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1992.pdf
Vitamin C and complications
of the
common cold: exacerbation of asthma
Hemilä H. Vitamin C and
common
cold-induced asthma: a systematic review and statistical analysis.
Allergy, Asthma Clin Immunol 2013;9:46
https://doi.org/10.1186/1710-1492-9-46
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4018579
Linus Pauling and the common
cold
Hemilä H. Vitamin C and
the common cold; Meta-analysis; Pauling's meta-analyses (1971a,b);
In: Do vitamins C and E affect respiratory infections? Thesis
2006 pp. 11-13, 28, 35-36
https://hdl.handle.net/10138/20335
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6395595
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/pauling
Hemilä H. Vitamin C
supplementation
and the common cold - was Linus Pauling right or wrong?
Int J
Vitam Nutr Res 1997;67:329-335
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6406111
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10250/7980
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1997_IJVNR.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9350474
Letters
and commentaries
Hemilä H. Flaws in the vitamin C and common cold meta-analysis by Ran et al.
(2020). Pubpeer 2021
https://pubpeer.com/publications/A8A31D990B9983EED502D199D2F4F5#1
Comments on the meta-analysis:
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8573742
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc7569434/
Hemilä H. Shortcomings in the vitamin C and common cold meta-analysis by Ran et
al. (2018) Pubpeer 2021
https://pubpeer.com/publications/077EAB95E9141BE6A455C30F0A688E#1
Comments on the meta-analysis:
https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1837634
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc6057395/
Hemilä H
Statistical problems in the vitamin C and common cold trial with South Korean army recruits. BMJ Military 2020
https://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/168/2/117.responses
Hemilä H, Chalker E. Meta-analysis
on vitamin C and the common cold
in children may be misleading. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-019-02733-x
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/Vorilhon_2019_Problems.pdf
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/Vorilhon_2019_Problems_Supplement.pdf
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6395643
This is
comment on:
Vorilhon P, et al.
Efficacy of vitamin C for the prevention and treatment of upper
respiratory tract infection. A meta-analysis in children. Eur J Clin
Pharmacol. 2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-018-2601-7
Further severe problems in the Vorilhon meta-analysis are describe in this document:
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/333365
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6395731
Because of the severe flaws, the Vorilhon meta-analysis was retracted in 2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33988724/
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-021-03150-9
Hemilä H, Chalker E. Commentary: The Long History of Vitamin C: From
Prevention of the Common Cold to Potential Aid in the Treatment of
COVID-19. Front Immunol. 2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33868305/
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.659001
Hemilä H. Vitamin C in Clinical Therapeutics. Clin Ther. 2017
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28863879/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2017.08.005
Hemilä H. The effect of
vitamin C on
the common cold.
J Pharmacy Practice 2011;24:241-242
https://doi.org/10.1177/0897190010392376
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/228058
Hemilä H. Randomised
trials on
vitamin C.
Br J Nutr 2011;105:485-487
https://doi.org/10.1017/S000711451000351X
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20979683
Hemilä H. Vitamin C for the common cold should not be rejected on
the basis of old and erroneous articles.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19660806/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2009.06.015
Hemilä H. The role of vitamin C in the treatment of the common cold.
Am Fam Physician. 2007
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17992770/
https://www.aafp.org/link_out?pmid=17992770
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/1015/p1111a.html
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/2007_L_AFP_2p.pdf
Hemilä H. Vitamin C and exercise-induced immunodepression.
Eur J
Clin Nutr. 2007
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17426740/
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602751
Hemilä H. Small trials focusing on surrogate end points may be
uninformative.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2007
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17219167/
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-006-0387-2
Hemilä H. The effect of nutrition on exercise-induced
immunodepression.
Nutr Rev. 2006
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17063930/
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2006.tb00179.x
Hemilä H. Echinacea, vitamin C, the common cold, and blinding.
Clin
Infect Dis. 2005
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16080106/
https://doi.org/10.1086/432629
Hemilä H. Vitamin C and
illness.
Skeptical Inquirer 1995;19(Nr.4;July/August):62
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/225885
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1995L.pdf
Hemilä H. The good and
harm of
vitamin C.
Nutrition Today 1994;29(Nr.2;April):49-50
https://doi.org/10.1097/00017285-199403000-00008
https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/225884
https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/hemila/H/HH_1994L.pdf