VITAMINS FOR THE PREVENTION OF COLDS

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Abstract
Repeated studies have shown that both animals and man have a decreased resistance to infections of various kinds when suffering from vitamin deficiencies. Apparently this may be true for each of the better known vitamins. On the other hand, it has not been shown by adequately controlled experiments that the addition of any of the vitamins to a reasonably adequate diet produces increased resistance to infections of the upper respiratory tract, the millions of dollars' worth of vitamin preparations which are sold each year for this alleged purpose notwithstanding. Most of the studies of vitamins for the prevention of colds have been limited to vitamin A alone or to vitamins A and D as contained in cod liver oil. The experiments with vitamin A have resulted almost uniformly in negative results, while cod liver oil has been reported by a number of authors to reduce the severity and by some