| Title | Ascorbic acid for the common cold. A prophylactic and therapeutic trial. | ||
| Author | Karlowski, T R; Chalmers, T C; Frenkel, L D; Kapikian, A Z; Lewis, T L; Lynch, J M | ||
| Journal | JAMA | Publication Year/Month | 1975-Mar |
| PMID | 163386 | PMCID | -N/A- |
Three hundred eleven employees of the National Institutes of Health volunteered to take 1 gm of ascorbic acid or lactose placebo in capsules three times a day for nine months. At the onset of a cold, the volunteers were given an additional 3 gm daily of either a placebo or ascorbic acid. One hundred ninety volunteers completed the study. Dropouts were defined as those who missed at least one month of drug ingestion. They represented 44% of the placebo group and 34% of those taking ascorbic acid. Analysis of these data showed that ascorbic acid had at best only a minor influence on the duration and severity of colds, and that the effects demonstrated might be explained equally well by a break in the double blind.