Long lines at the doctor's office, people sniffling and coughing wherever you go and newspaper headlines publicizing the flu vaccination shortages --- these are only some of characteristics of last year's flu season. Get ready -- the beginning of October marks the start of another flu season. And with the flu and cold symptoms come a long strew of treatment possibilities, one of them being ascorbic acid, more commonly known as vitamin C.
It's in your Florida orange juice, your V8 and those leafy greens in your salad. As a necessary antioxidant, vitamin C is very important for normal growth, and its deficiency is often linked with scurvy and periodontitis (gum disease), among other diseases.
Since it was first isolated in the late 1920s, some have accepted it as a means of prevention and treatment of the common cold. But how effective is this treatment?
In actuality, vitamin C may not help the general population suffering from the common cold or flu, according to a compilation of 55 studies.
WebMD reports that children regularly taking vitamin C showed cold symptoms for 14 percent fewer days, while for adults, only 8 percent showed an improvement. The vitamin C did not prevent the cold; it only shortened the duration of the cold in those who took doses of the vitamin daily (up to 2 grams). The only exceptions were people who were frequently exposed to cold temperatures, such as marathon runners or soldiers.
Besides pills, fizzy drinks and energy booster powders containing vitamin C are also popular options.
First-year College student Erica Lee takes an energy booster known as Emer'gen-C. The powder contains 1,000 mg of Vitamin C in the form of seven ascorbates, as well as other minerals.
"I used to just take this when I was sick, but now I take [Emer'gen-C] everyday," Lee said. "My mom owns a Tropical Smoothie Café, and they put these in their 'Morning After' smoothies, so she gave them to me so they can keep me healthier if I'm sick."
As for treatment of colds with large doses of vitamin C at the onset, the results are still questionable, with most researchers saying that such treatment is ineffective.
But the latest research shows that ascorbic acid may have some usefulness as a treatment for something else: cancer.
The Sept. 12 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that ascorbic acid, when injected intravenously, can be extremely effective in indirectly killing cancer cells. The study, conducted at the National Institute of Health, has reopened the possibilities for cancer treatment after vitamin C was discarded as a treatment possibility 20 years ago.
The study shows that vitamin C acts indirectly by generating peroxide, which induces cell death extracellularly, from the outside of cancer cells. Almost 100 percent of lymphoma cells were killed, while surprisingly, normal cells were left relatively unaffected.
Results of a similar test showed that the mechanism by which ascorbic acid targets cancer cells does not lead to accumulation of peroxide in the blood, rendering the fact that intravenous ascorbic acid may be a safe and effective agent against cancer. In this way, it is believed that ascorbic acid can act similarly in vivo, as a "pro-drug" for peroxide transport to tissues.
Oral dosage of vitamin C, on the other hand, may not be as effective because of limited absorption by the intestine. Thus, the intravenous ascorbic acid, which can be given in higher concentrations, is being considered as a possible treatment option.
Until further studies are conducted, it is still uncertain whether vitamin C truly can offer possibilities for those suffering from cancer. As for the cold, vitamin C does not do all that we thought it could. Ring out the cold and ring in the new -- possibilities, that is.
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