維生素C真能治感冒嗎？

The jury is still out on whether vitamin C can treat or prevent a cold, but a recent review of the scientific literature suggests that it does have some benefits. While supplementing with vitamin C may not prevent colds, according to the studies, there’s some evidence that taking vitamin C regularly can help us bounce back from a cold faster.

雖然維生素C能否治療或預防感冒依然沒有定論，但是最近的一項科學文獻綜述表明，它確實有一些好處。

雖然補充維生素C可能不能預防感冒，但是根據研究，有一些證據表明，定期服用維生素C可以幫助我們更快地從感冒中恢復。

「Supplemental vitamin C may lessen the duration and symptoms of the common cold because of its immune-enhancing effects,」 says registered dietitian Lisa Fischer. 「It’s not like if you take vitamin C, it’s going cure your cold, but it makes the body more capable of fighting off the virus once you have it.」

「補充維生素C可以縮短常見感冒的持續時間，減輕感冒的症狀，因為它有增強免疫力的效果，」註冊營養師Lisa Fischer說。

「這不是說如果你服用了維生素C，它就會治癒你的感冒，但是你服用的維生素C會使身體對抗病毒的能力更強。

」

In addition to boosting the immune system, Fischer says vitamin C helps repair and regenerate tissue, protect against heart disease and certain cancers, aid in iron absorption, decrease LDL cholesterol, and plays a role in building collagen. It’s also an antioxidant that helps protect cells and DNA against free radicals and other harmful agents that can cause damage to cells. To reap the greatest benefits of supplemental vitamin C, Fischer says it’s best to make it a daily habit. 「Any of the research that supports vitamin C says it’s best to take it continuously or consistently, rather than right before you feel like you』re getting sick」.

除了增強免疫系統，Fischer說維生素C有助於修復和再生組織、防止心臟病和某些癌症、幫助鐵吸收、減少低密度脂蛋白膽固醇，並在構成膠原蛋白中發揮作用。

它也是一種抗氧化劑，有助於保護細胞和DNA免受損害細胞的自由基和其他有害物質的影響。

為了獲得補充維生素C的最大好處，Fischer說最好是讓它成為一種日常習慣。

「任何支持維生素C的研究都表示，最好是持續或連續服用，而不是在感到生病之前才服用」。

The best sources of vitamin C may surprise you. 「A lot of people assume that vitamin C is found in fruit like oranges, but actually, some of the top sources are vegetables such as bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and squash,」 says Fischer. The best sources from fruit would be papaya, strawberry, pineapple, orange, kiwi, and cantaloupe.」 (These vitamin C-rich foods are natural fat burners.)

維生素C的最佳來源可能會讓你驚訝。

Fischer說：「很多人認為維生素C存在於橙子之類的水果中，但是實際上，一些最主要的來源是蔬菜，如青椒，西蘭花、球芽甘藍、花椰菜和南瓜。

水果中最好的來源是番木瓜、草莓、菠蘿、橙子、獼猴桃和哈密瓜。

」(這些富含維生素C的食物是天然的脂肪燃燒器。

)

If you』re considering supplementation, studies show that consuming between 250 and 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day is considered safe, but more than that could lead to potential gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and gastritis and other issues.

如果你正在考慮補充維生素C，研究表明每天服用250至1000毫克維生素C被認為是安全的，但是更多劑量可能導致潛在的胃腸道不適的症狀，如腹瀉和胃炎等問題。

Before taking vitamin C, talk to your doctor to suss out drug interactions and determine the dosage that’s right for you.

在服用維生素C之前，請諮詢你的醫生，弄清楚藥物之間的相互作用，並確定適合你的劑量。