Are you addicted to Vitamin C as a cold remedy?
Do you know how Vitamin C came to have this reputation?
Well, the excellent and sarcastic QuackCast podcast is here to tell you. Mark Crislip is an infectious disease doctor who takes the time to read all the boring studies behind the medical fads to let us know the real scoop. Just how interesting an episode is may depend on your level of interest in the particular medical myth he's covering, but I have to say his episode on Vitamin C is one of his most informative and listenable.
What does Crislip reveal? Well, I won't spoil everything, but here are a couple of items:
- The hypothesis of Vitamin C as a cold remedy was provided by Linus Pauling without any testing whatsoever.
- Vitamin C does in fact have a bit of positive impact on a cold, but probably not as much or in the way you think.
For details, listen to the damn podcast!
To download the podcast file directly, click here.
Haven't heard the podcast yet, but here's an interesting tidbit that I bet isn't in it: some LSD users will eat several times the RDA of Vitamin C prior to dropping acid. It's supposed to make the experience more intense, or pleasant, or something.
Posted by: Guy T. | September 17, 2008 at 08:34 PM
some LSD users
It's okay, Guy, you are among friends, you can be honest with us...
Posted by: Ronald Hayden | September 19, 2008 at 04:50 PM