Vitamin C Cold Prevention
Nobel laureate Linus Pauling’s 1970 book claimed 1,000mg of vitamin C daily prevented colds based on limited evidence. Vitamin C sales jumped 20% within five years as Americans sought simple solutions. A comprehensive 2013 review of 29 clinical trials found no preventive effect. Regular supplementation might shorten colds by just 8% in adults. Pauling’s scientific reputation gave this myth staying power despite mounting evidence against it. Many still reach for C supplements at the first sneeze.