What helps against colds? The power duo of vitamin C and D

Veröffentlicht am: November 04, 2024
Dr. med. Wolfgang Bachmann
Dr. med. Wolfgang Bachmann

General practitioner

Viruses are infectious particles, even smaller than bacteria. They cause a relatively large number of known diseases in humans, such as AIDS, herpes, polio, smallpox and many others. They also include the common cold and influenza - diseases of the respiratory system caused by viruses. While common cold symptoms are limited to a runny nose and sore throat, influenza ("viral flu") is typically much more severe, with symptoms such as fever, headache, aching limbs, lethargy, fatigue and weakness that can last for days or even weeks.

Both colds and influenza are transmitted through contact with secretions produced by the respiratory tract of infected persons (for example by shaking hands, touching a contaminated doorknob, etc. and then touching the mouth, eyes or nose) or by inhaling infectious particles that can remain in the air for up to three hours. 

Outside the body, viruses are metabolically inactive and are, so to speak, in a gray area between life and non-life (whether they can even be described as living beings has not yet been fully clarified). In order for them to multiply and thus develop their infectious effect, they must attach themselves to healthy (albeit often weakened) cells, take over their ability to reproduce and begin to produce further infectious particles, so-called virions.

Influenza cells typically gain access to healthy cells through spike-like projections that protrude from their "bodies". Agencies such as the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) put the number of people who die each year in the USA from so-called "seasonal" influenza at 35,000. However, according to the National Vital Statistics Reports, which are also published by the CDC, only a few hundred of these deaths are caused by the influenza virus itself - primarily in older people or people whose immune system was already weakened for various reasons. The remaining deaths are caused by secondary bacterial infections such as pneumonia. 

The prevention and treatment of influenza requires special measures in conjunction with a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle or the regular intake of substances that strengthen the immune system. Two of these substances - vitamin C and vitamin D - are particularly effective when it comes to successfully combating colds and influenza.

Vitamin C is a powerful and effective remedy for the flu

It is effective against both bacteria and viruses and is therefore very suitable for the treatment of viral flu and its bacterial side effects as well as normal colds. Vitamin C works in many different ways: It activates natural killer cells that attack pathogenic microbes, even if they have never encountered them before. It also activates macrophages (so-called "scavenger cells"), another weapon of the immune system against infections.

Vitamin C also supports the body's own production of hydrogen peroxide, which the cells of the immune system use against infectious microbes. 

In the case of a bacterial or viral infection, very high doses of vitamin C can be taken - at least between 1,000 and 1,500 mg per hour. Treatment should begin immediately after the onset of the illness, the sooner the better. Incidentally, the only side effect is diarrhea due to overstimulation of the digestive system. In this case, the dose should be reduced slightly. However, in the case of an infectious disease, the body tolerates larger amounts of vitamin C before diarrhea symptoms occur.

As part of a representative study, 700 students were given one gram (i.e. 1,000 mg) of vitamin C per hour during the first six hours after the onset of cold or flu symptoms and three grams on the following days. Both cold and influenza symptoms were reduced by 85%. 

In contrast to Ester C® or other buffered forms, the acid form of vitamin C - ascorbic acid - should be taken either as a capsule or as a powder (crystals). One teaspoon of powder is approximately four grams. Although the buffered forms of vitamin C help prevent diarrhea, they are significantly less effective than ascorbic acid. In addition, one of the most effective treatments for colds, influenza or particularly malignant pathogens such as the avian flu pathogen is intravenous treatment with high doses of vitamin C 

Dr. Robert Cathcart (1932 - 2007), a pioneer in vitamin C research, used vitamin C to treat all types of influenza, including avian influenza. He demonstrated that even potentially fatal cases of avian flu and other types of influenza that severely affect the lungs can be effectively treated with massive doses of vitamin C, either by oral administration (as ascorbic acid powder) of 12 grams every 15 minutes (until diarrhea sets in, at which point the dose should be slightly reduced) or intravenously (as sodium ascorbate) by qualified medical personnel, with doses ranging from 150 to 300 grams for 24 hours. 

The respiratory system is the first target of avian influenza viruses (H5N1) and some other influenza strains. The damage done to the lungs is caused by the production of large amounts of free radicals. Vitamin C is the ideal antidote for this, as it is the only known substance/antioxidant that can be taken in large enough quantities - preferably intravenously, but also orally depending on the severity of the disease - to combat virtually any free radical-induced pathology, including the negative effects on the lungs in the case of certain types of influenza. Since the body's tolerance to orally ingested ascorbic acid increases in proportion to the severity of the illness, up to 200 grams (and beyond) per 24 hours can be taken by severely ill individuals without causing diarrhea.

Vitamin D for a strong immune system

Among the many vitamins that are good for our health, vitamin D is increasingly seen as a superstar. It is unique in the world of vitamins because technically it is not a vitamin at all, but the only known precursor of calcitriol - activated vitamin D - a highly potent steroid hormone that regulates the expression of hundreds of genes. Of the approximately 25,000 protein-coded genes in the human genome, no less than ten percent (= 2,500) are activated by vitamin D alone. This makes vitamin D a central control unit for a large number of physiological mechanisms throughout the body, which "switch on" or "switch off" the corresponding genes. Vitamin D also stimulates white blood cells to produce hundreds of antimicrobial peptides that attack bacteria, viruses or fungi. The most important of these peptides are cathelicidins.

Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin as soon as it is exposed to UV light. In this context, doctors and health authorities have warned of the risk of skin cancer from excessive sun exposure. This has led to a remarkable vitamin D deficiency in many populations outside the equatorial zones worldwide. This deficiency is now known to be a key factor in the development of many diseases and health problems such as autoimmune diseases, birth defects, at least 17 different types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, depression, diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, muscle atrophy and weakness, joint inflammation and periodontal disease. 

It has also recently become known that colds and flu-like infections are largely caused by a vitamin D deficiency due to the lack of sunlight in the months between the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year - and the summer solstice - the longest day of the year.

This is why it is particularly important to take adequate amounts of vitamin D as an effective preventative measure - a kind of natural "vaccine" - during this period of low sunlight. In contrast to earlier estimates, vitamin D researchers now recommend a minimum intake of 1,000 to 2,000 IU (International Units) per day during the summer months - especially if you don't get too much sunlight - and doubling this amount in late fall, winter and early spring. Some have also established the following rule of thumb: 1,000 IU per 12.5 kg body weight. Adequate amounts can also include a combination of different measures such as sunlight, vitamin D-rich foods such as cod liver oil and taking D3-containing supplements - mind you, D3 (choleocalciferol), NOT D2 (ergocalciferol). To get the right amount, D3 supplements in capsule or liquid form are the easiest method. 

Daily intakes of at least 10,000 IU are considered safe, and some experts even believe that the non-toxic daily dose is closer to 40,000 IU.

For the treatment of colds and influenza, some doctors recommend between 50,000 and 100,000 IU of cholecalciferol per day for a period of seven days, up to an amount of 1,000 IU per half kilogram of body weight for three days. According to this rule, a person with a body weight of 100 kg would consume 200,000 IU within three days. To put these doses into perspective, it should be borne in mind that the skin produces 20,000 IU during 20 to 30 minutes of unprotected exposure to summer sunlight in those hours when the shadow cast by the body is shorter than the body itself. (A standard sunshade reduces vitamin D production by 95%). The optimal level of vitamin D in the blood should be consistently between 50 and 80 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter), as measured by the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test.

The storm of cytokines 

Viruses that attack the respiratory system, like influenza viruses, sometimes cause the immune system to do more harm than good. A far from life-threatening form of influenza can turn from a minor nuisance to a killer because the immune system overreacts to the infectious invader's attack. 

When the lungs are attacked by an infectious microbe such as a virus, the immune system sends its T cells to the scene. If the infection cannot be stopped quickly, the T cells produce molecules that signal them to stay in the lungs and continue fighting the infection. At the same time, the immune system shifts up several gears and sends a second wave of T cells, resulting in a so-called "cytokine storm", an overreaction of the immune system that is often more dangerous than the original infection. It can lead to severe inflammation of the lung tissue and an overproduction of mucus that blocks the airways. It can also lead to bleeding of the lung tissue. This in turn prevents the transfer of oxygen into the blood, resulting in shortness of breath and, in severe cases, even suffocation.  

This reaction is a particularly worrying symptom of SARS and H5N1 (or swine flu and other influenza strains) and the main reason for their lethality as a result of pneumonia and acute respiratory distress.

In November 2005, the magazine Respiratory Research reported that the inflammatory cytokine levels in the cells of the lungs 24 hours after an H5N1 infection ("bird flu") were ten times higher than in normal influenza. Therefore, in the event of a cytokine storm, immune stimulants such as medicinal mushrooms, beta-glucan or echinacea should be avoided and immune regulators should be used instead.

Vitamin D is one such regulator that has the ability to boost or reduce the immune system depending on the circumstances. In the case of an overreaction that leads to a cytokine storm, vitamin D weakens those elements of the immune system that cause inflammation. High doses of vitamin D - up to 1,000 IU per 500 G of body weight for three days (or longer if necessary) - should be an effective treatment method in cases of influenza-related inflammatory reactions triggered by a cytokine storm. Vitamin D is also useful when the immune system needs to be boosted.

However, as mentioned, it is also very effective in reducing damage caused by free radicals and cytokine-induced inflammation, as the high-energy electrons emitted by vitamin D attenuate free radical-induced disease symptoms such as inflammation and lung tissue damage. 

 

Sources (in English):

Van Straten, M. & Josling, P. (2002, May-June). Preventing the common cold with a vitamin C supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey. Advances in Therapy, 19(3):151-9 

Gorton, H. C. & Jarvis, K. (1999, October). The effectiveness of vitamin C in preventing and relieving the symptoms of virus-induced respiratory infections. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 22(8):530-3

Cannell, J.J., Vieth, R., Umhau, J. C., Holick, M. F., Grant, W. B., Madronich, S. et al.(2006, December). Epidemic influenza and Vitamin D. Epidemiology and Infection, 134:1129-1140, doi: 10.1017/S0950268806007175

Holick, M. F. (2004, December). Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 80(6 Suppl):1678S-88S, doi: 10.1093/ajcn/80.6.1678S 

William Davis, M. D. (2007, September). Vitamin D’s Crucial Role in Cardiovascular Protection. Life Extension Magazine. [Verfügbar unter: http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2007/9/report_vitamind/Page-01]

Chan, M. C. W., Cheung, C. Y., Chui, W. H., Tsao, S. W., Nicholls, J. M., Chan, Y. O. et. al. (2005) Proinflammatory cytokine responses induced by influenza A (H5N1) viruses in primary human alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells. Respiratory Research, 6(1):135, doi: 10.1186/1465-9921-6-135

Zhao, C. N., Li, Y., Meng, X., Li, S., Liu, Q., Tang, G. Y. et al. (2018, May). Insight into the Roles of Vitamins C and D against Cancer: Myth or Truth?. Cancer Letters, 29. pii: S0304-3835(18)30372-0, doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.05.039 

Pohanka, M., Pejchal, J., Snopkova, S., Havlickova, K., Karasova, J. Z., Bostik, P. et al. (2012, January). Ascorbic acid: an old player with a broad impact on body physiology including oxidative stress suppression and immunomodulation: a review. Mini Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry, 12(1):35-43

Padayatty, S. J., Katz, A., Wang, Y., Eck, P., Kwon, O., Lee, J. H. et al. (2003, February). Vitamin C as an antioxidant: evaluation of its role in disease prevention. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 22(1):18-35