Cold Remedies and Treatments: Vitamin C, Echinacea and Zinc

The common cold is a constantly changing viral disease that affects millions of people each year. Because colds are caused by viruses, no cure currently exists for them (Taking antibiotics is only effective in curing diseases caused by bacteria and fungi).
 
Instead, treatment for colds revolves around minimizing the symptoms, including:
  • coughing
  • fatigue
  • runny nose
  • sniffling
  • sneezing.

Keep in mind that the cold virus comes in many different forms. In fact, there are over 200 different viruses that can cause you to come down a cold. Some of the most common viruses that tend to develop into colds include the following (in order of the rate of prevalence associated with each):

  • The rhinovirus causes about 40 percent of all colds.
  • The coronavirus causes about 10 to 15 percent of all colds.
  • The respiratory syncytial virus causes about 10 percent of all colds.
  • The influenza virus causes about 10 percent of all colds.

Another 20 to 30 percent of colds have unknown causes.

With such a variety of potential causes for the common cold, effective treatments vary widely, depending on:

  • the duration of the symptoms (More intense treatments will be necessary the longer the cold persists.)

  • the patient’s age and current health (Patients who suffer from any other conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, may need specialized treatments.)

  • the type of virus causing the cold.
In this section, we will explore some of the various types of potential cold treatments. Our articles will highlight the pros and cons of each, suggesting which types of possible cold treatments are best for different patients.

Vitamin C

Possibly one of the most common myths associated with the common cold is the fact that taking Vitamin C can prevent and cure this sickness. However, over the years, a number of studies on the effectiveness of Vitamin C on colds have come up with a variety of conflicting results.

For example, one popular study has found that taking Vitamin C supplements (of 1 gram) for as little as two weeks can boost the strength of the immune system, a fact that these researchers linked to Vitamin C’s ability to reduce the length of time that people suffer from colds.

Yet, although other studies have proven that Vitamin C doesn’t cure a cold, the fact remains that Vitamin C does have other health benefits, such as the ability to reduce allergy symptoms. As a result, consider incorporating Vitamin C into your daily vitamin regimen.

Echinacea

Another possible remedy for the common cold is Echinacea, a homeopathic herb proven to boost the strength of the immune system. Like Vitamin C, the theory is that, by taking Echinacea to enhance the immune system’s strength, people can prevent and/or reduce the symptoms of their colds.

However, as with the studies done on Vitamin C and the common cold, researchers have found conflicting conclusions about the effectiveness of Echinacea on treating colds. For example, a recent study conducted by the University of Virginia School of Medicine found that Echinacea didn’t significantly minimize either the symptoms or the duration of colds in patients.

Yet, critics argue that the study didn’t have patients ingesting enough Echinacea to effectively treat colds. Although the jury is still out on the degree to which Echinacea can prevent and/or treat colds, like Vitamin C, Echinacea is beneficial to our overall health. Consequently, talk to your doctor about how much Echinacea you should incorporate into your dietary supplement regimen.

Resources

Common Cold Centre (n.d.). General Common Cold Information. Retrieved October 29, 2007 from the Cardiff University Web site: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/biosi/associates/cold/commoncold.html.

Wong, Cathy (updated January 24, 2007). Echinacea and the Common Cold? Retrieved October 29, 2007 from the About.com Web site: http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/
echinacea.htm.