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March 2, 1979, Vol 241, No. 9 >
ARTICLE | March 2, 1979

Vitamin C Prophylaxis in Marine Recruits FREE

Henry A. Pitt, MD; Anthony M. Costrini, MD
[+] Author Affiliations

The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Navy Department or the naval service at large.

Reprint requests to The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 601 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205 (Dr Pitt).


JAMA. 1979;241(9):908-911. doi:10.1001/jama.1979.03290350028016
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References

A prospective, randomized, double-blind study was carried out to determine whether vitamin C prophylaxis, 2.0 g/day, vs placebo prophylaxis would reduce the incidence or morbidity of the common cold and other respiratory illnesses in 674 marine recruits during an eight-week period. Whole-blood ascorbic acid levels measured six weeks after initiation of the study were significantly higher in the vitamin C group. There was no difference between the two groups in the incidence or duration of colds. The vitamin C group rated their colds as being less severe, but this was not reflected in different symptom complexes or in fewer sick-call visits or training days lost. This study and the literature do not support the prophylactic use of vitamin C to prevent the common cold.

(JAMA 241:908-911, 1979)

REFERENCES

1 +
Wenzel RP, McCormick DP, Smith EP, et al:  Acute respiratory disease: Clinical and epidemiologic observations of military trainees . Milit Med 132:873-880, 1971;.
2 +
Pauling LC: Vitamin C and the Common Cold . San Francisco, WH Freeman and Co Publishers, 1970;.
3 +
Chalmers TC:  Effect of ascorbic acid on the common cold: An evaluation of the evidence . Am J Med 58:532-536, 1975;.
4 +
Dykes MHM, Meier P:  Ascorbic acid and the common cold: Evaluation of its efficacy and toxicity . JAMA 231:1073-1079, 1975;.
5 +
Anderson TW, Reid DBW, Beaton GH:  Vitamin C and the common cold: A double-blind trial . Can Med Assoc J 107:503-508, 1972;.
6 +
Anderson TW, Suranyi G, Beaton GH:  The effect on winter illness of large doses of vitamin C . Can Med Assoc J 111:31-36, 1974;.
7 +
Anderson TW, Beaton GH, Sasey PN, et al:  Winter illness and vitamin C: The effect of relatively low doses . Can Med Assoc J 112:823-826, 1975;.
8 +
Charleston SS, Clegg KM:  Ascorbic acid and the common cold . Lancet 1:1401-1402, 1972;.
9 +
Clegg KM, MacDonald JM:  L-ascorbic acid and D-isoascorbic acid in a common cold survey . Am J Clin Nutr 28:973-976, 1975;.
10 +
Coulehan JL, Reisinger KS, Rogers KD:  Vitamin C prophylaxis in a boarding school . N Engl J Med 290:6-10, 1974;.
11 +
Coulehan JL, Eberhand S, Kapner L, et al:  Vitamin C and acute illness in Navajo school children . N Engl J Med 295:973-977, 1976;.
12 +
Elwood PC, Hughes SJ, St Leger AS:  A randomized controlled trial of the therapeutic effect of vitamin C in the common cold . Practitioner 218:133-137, 1977;.
13 +
Karlowski TR, Chalmers TC, Frenkel LD:  Ascorbic acid for the common cold: A prophylactic and therapeutic trial . JAMA 231:1038-1042, 1975;.
14 +
Miller JZ, Nance WE, Norton JA, et al:  Therapeutic effect of vitamin C: A co-twin control study . JAMA 237:248-251, 1977;.
15 +
Sabiston BH, Radomski NW:  Health problems and vitamin C in Canadian northern military operations  (Defense and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine Report No. 74-R-1012). Presented at the 25th symposium of the Defense Research Board, Department of National Defense, Canada, Nov 14, 1973 .
16 +
Schwartz AR, Togo Y, Hornick RB, et al:  Evaluation of the efficacy of ascorbic acid in prophylaxis of induced rhinovirus 44 infection in man . J Infect Dis 128:500-505, 1973;.
17 +
Wilson CWM, Loh HS:  Common cold and vitamin C . Lancet 1:638-641, 1973;.
18 +
Wilson CWM, Loh HS, Foster FG:  The beneficial effect of vitamin C on the common cold . Eur J Clin Pharmacol 6:26-32, 1973;.
19 +
Wilson CWM, Loh HS, Foster FG:  Common cold symptomatology and vitamin C . Eur J Clin Pharmacol 6:196-202, 1973;.
20 +
Körner WF, Weber F:  Zur toleranz hoher ascorbinsäuerdosen . Internat Z Vit Ern Forschung 42:528-544, 1972;.

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1 +
Wenzel RP, McCormick DP, Smith EP, et al:  Acute respiratory disease: Clinical and epidemiologic observations of military trainees . Milit Med 132:873-880, 1971;.
2 +
Pauling LC: Vitamin C and the Common Cold . San Francisco, WH Freeman and Co Publishers, 1970;.
3 +
Chalmers TC:  Effect of ascorbic acid on the common cold: An evaluation of the evidence . Am J Med 58:532-536, 1975;.
4 +
Dykes MHM, Meier P:  Ascorbic acid and the common cold: Evaluation of its efficacy and toxicity . JAMA 231:1073-1079, 1975;.
5 +
Anderson TW, Reid DBW, Beaton GH:  Vitamin C and the common cold: A double-blind trial . Can Med Assoc J 107:503-508, 1972;.
6 +
Anderson TW, Suranyi G, Beaton GH:  The effect on winter illness of large doses of vitamin C . Can Med Assoc J 111:31-36, 1974;.
7 +
Anderson TW, Beaton GH, Sasey PN, et al:  Winter illness and vitamin C: The effect of relatively low doses . Can Med Assoc J 112:823-826, 1975;.
8 +
Charleston SS, Clegg KM:  Ascorbic acid and the common cold . Lancet 1:1401-1402, 1972;.
9 +
Clegg KM, MacDonald JM:  L-ascorbic acid and D-isoascorbic acid in a common cold survey . Am J Clin Nutr 28:973-976, 1975;.
10 +
Coulehan JL, Reisinger KS, Rogers KD:  Vitamin C prophylaxis in a boarding school . N Engl J Med 290:6-10, 1974;.
11 +
Coulehan JL, Eberhand S, Kapner L, et al:  Vitamin C and acute illness in Navajo school children . N Engl J Med 295:973-977, 1976;.
12 +
Elwood PC, Hughes SJ, St Leger AS:  A randomized controlled trial of the therapeutic effect of vitamin C in the common cold . Practitioner 218:133-137, 1977;.
13 +
Karlowski TR, Chalmers TC, Frenkel LD:  Ascorbic acid for the common cold: A prophylactic and therapeutic trial . JAMA 231:1038-1042, 1975;.
14 +
Miller JZ, Nance WE, Norton JA, et al:  Therapeutic effect of vitamin C: A co-twin control study . JAMA 237:248-251, 1977;.
15 +
Sabiston BH, Radomski NW:  Health problems and vitamin C in Canadian northern military operations  (Defense and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine Report No. 74-R-1012). Presented at the 25th symposium of the Defense Research Board, Department of National Defense, Canada, Nov 14, 1973 .
16 +
Schwartz AR, Togo Y, Hornick RB, et al:  Evaluation of the efficacy of ascorbic acid in prophylaxis of induced rhinovirus 44 infection in man . J Infect Dis 128:500-505, 1973;.
17 +
Wilson CWM, Loh HS:  Common cold and vitamin C . Lancet 1:638-641, 1973;.
18 +
Wilson CWM, Loh HS, Foster FG:  The beneficial effect of vitamin C on the common cold . Eur J Clin Pharmacol 6:26-32, 1973;.
19 +
Wilson CWM, Loh HS, Foster FG:  Common cold symptomatology and vitamin C . Eur J Clin Pharmacol 6:196-202, 1973;.
20 +
Körner WF, Weber F:  Zur toleranz hoher ascorbinsäuerdosen . Internat Z Vit Ern Forschung 42:528-544, 1972;.

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