The symptoms of common cold are very much similar to flu, but in both the cases cause discomfort to the patient. According to a scientific report, more than half of the world’s population is diagnosed with common cold and flu every year. Although, our bodies have the capability to treat cold on its own, but the process takes some time.
The misery caused by cold and flu might be unbearable, at such times people look for much faster approaches. There are several supplements that claim to prevent colds, but on the contrary there aren’t many evidences to prove. Traditionally people used to treat common cold and flu by using vitamins and even till today this method is followed.
Top Vitamins For Cold And Flu
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has been used traditionally for treating the common cold. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that is required for survival of human beings. It has anti-viral properties and functions as an antioxidant.Vitamin C protects the cells from the damage caused by the free radicals and eventually kills the virus. It also enhances the functioning of the immune system, thus prevents the cold. The recommended dosage of vitamin C is about 400 mg and people who work in cold atmosphere can increase the dose to 1 gram per day. Vitamin C is found in food sources like oranges, strawberries, guavas, broccoli and papayas.
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Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is essential for development of bones. Apart from it, vitamin D provides immune benefits that are useful for treating cold and flu. It has been scientifically proven that regular intake of vitamin D reduces the occurrence of the cold.In-addition to this, vitamin D improves the immune functioning of the body. The best source of obtaining vitamin D is sun exposure, which is not fully possible in the winter season. Irrespective of that, vitamin D is found in food sources like fishes, eggs, mushroom and cheese.
Vitamin A
The importance of vitamin A is widely known, this vitamin is crucial for maintaining a proper vision. Vitamin A contains several anti-viral properties which help to fight flu. Vitamin A is involved in several metabolisms and helps to fight against the free radicals.The active form of vitamin A is retinol, which functions as an antioxidant. However, taking high doses of vitamin A is not beneficial, as it can even lead to vision problems. So make sure that you don’t consume more than 6,000 IU of vitamin A. The food sources that are rich in vitamin A are sweet potatoes, mustard greens, carrots, lettuce and cantaloupe.
Zinc
Zinc is an important mineral that is required for various enzymatic actions in the human body. The method of using zinc to treat common cold and flu has become popular in the recent years. There are different forms of zinc like zinc citrate and zinc sulfate, each helpful for fighting against the cold.According to a recent study, zinc can reduce the pain and discomfort caused by upper respiratory infection. Zinc is normally taken as a syrup and should be served 2 times a day. However, zinc should not be taken regularly for months together because it can develop calcium deficiencies in the body.
