You are probably well-versed in vitamin C’s abilities as an antioxidant. Although there are still conflicting reports about the ability of vitamin C to cure or stop the flu from attacking your immune system, most of us usually pop a few tabs containing this vitamin at the first hint of fever or sore throat. Vitamin C is seen as somewhat of a folk remedy — there are those who swear by it as an alternative remedy during the cold and flu season and those who think the vitamin can do nothing in the way of prevention.
How about this latest news for all the naysayers from researchers at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India: ascorbic acid may be the one cure that could help to prevent the next flu pandemic. According to the researchers, the occurrence of influenza pandemics is a worldwide phenomenon and a significant cause of mortality throughout the world.
The researchers blame mutations in influenza viruses that emerge into new virus strains for being part of the problem causing this global threat. Unfortunately, vaccines available for prevention of influenza offer no protection against influenza pandemics caused by new virus strains. Moreover, the existing drugs used to combat influenza may be ineffective in treating influenza pandemics due to the emergence of drug resistance in the virus strain.
So how to deal with a seemingly impossible situation like this? Based on research on numerous published studies, researchers recommend that ascorbic acid can be used to help prevent influenza pandemics.
Surely, if vitamin C can be enlisted to stop a flu pandemic, it could certainly be beneficial in treating a single case of flu. You’ll want to make sure you keep your levels of this vitamin high during flu season. This means being vigilant about eating lots of vitamin-C-rich foods — especially since ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin and can’t be stored by your body except in insignificant amounts. In other words, you need to replenish your supply of vitamin C every day!
This should be a relatively easy thing to do, however. Just eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day and you will get a healthy dose of vitamin C. You should aim to get about 60 milligrams of vitamin C every day.
To get health advice about how vitamin D could also come the rescue this flu season, check out the article, This Vitamin Could Beat the Flu.