Common Cold
disease · Infections; Respiratory Tract Diseases
Nutrients connected to Common Cold
A link means the body needs the nutrient for this, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate; each link shows how strong the evidence is.
- Immune Support FormulasPreliminary or mixed
Vitamin C, zinc, elderberry and echinacea have been studied alone with small or mixed results; no blend trials found.
- ElderberryPreliminary or mixed
Reviews suggest elderberry may ease or shorten colds, but evidence is uncertain; it may not prevent them.
- EchinaceaPreliminary or mixed
May slightly reduce the chance of catching a cold; Cochrane found no proven benefit for treating one. Results vary by product.
- Echinacea TeaPreliminary or mixed
One older trial of a compound echinacea tea reported shorter symptoms; Cochrane found benefit for treating colds not shown for single-ingredient echinacea products. Mixed evidence.
- Vitamin CPreliminary or mixed
Regular vitamin C did not prevent colds in the general public, but shortened them slightly. Starting after symptoms began showed no consistent effect.
- American ginsengPreliminary or mixed
A review found insufficient evidence it prevents colds, though two trials found them shorter when taken for 8 to 16 weeks.
- AndrographisPreliminary or mixed
Traditionally used for colds; trials in acute respiratory infections suggest symptom relief but quality was poor.
- Pelargonium (Umckaloabo)Preliminary or mixed
EU accepts use for cold symptoms from long-standing use; Cochrane found very low-quality evidence from one study.
- ForsythiaPreliminary or mixed
One small placebo-controlled trial of a 10-herb formula containing forsythia lowered cold symptom scores; it stopped early and symptom duration did not differ. Not tested for forsythia alone.
- LimesPreliminary or mixed
Vitamin C tablets made colds slightly shorter in a Cochrane review; they did not prevent colds in the general public. Limes were not tested.
- OrangesPreliminary or mixed
Regular vitamin C supplements did not lower cold risk in the general public but slightly shortened colds (Cochrane); not tested with oranges.
- Wild indigoPreliminary or mixed
One trial of a Baptisia-Echinacea-Thuja extract found shorter symptoms at the higher dose; wild indigo alone untested.
- Bell PeppersPreliminary or mixed
Vitamin C tablets did not lower colds in the general public (Cochrane); no trial of peppers.
- Thyme TeaPreliminary or mixed
The cough in colds is the EU use; no trial of tea on colds.
- Elderflower TeaPreliminary or mixed
EU traditional-use approval for early cold symptoms rests on long-standing use; clinical studies of elder flower are lacking.
- Linden Flower TeaPreliminary or mixed
EU traditional-use approval for common cold symptoms; not trial proof.
- EuglenaPreliminary or mixed
Two 8-week trials in healthy Japanese adults found fewer cold-like symptoms with Euglena; short, symptom diaries.
- Neti Pot and Saline Nasal RinsePreliminary or mixed
Cochrane found mostly no difference, with small possible benefits in some trials.
- HoneyPreliminary or mixed
Honey beat usual care for symptoms in a 14-study meta-analysis; placebo-controlled results were unclear.
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