The Metabolism of Supplementary Vitamin C During the Common Cold

Ascorbic acid concentrations have been measured in leukocytes and plasma following oral administration of 2000 mg vitamin C in the same subjects while they had cold symptoms and after recovery from their colds. Plasma and leukocyte concentrations rose significantly in females, but only plasma concentrations rose in males, after the loading dose during colds. In the postcold tests, only plasma concentrations rose in both sexes. There was a significant difference in plasma leukocyte regression coefficients between the cold and postcold tests in females. Ascorbic acid passes into the plasma for metabolic purposes, and its storage is less in the leukocytes, during colds. Males had worse colds than females because their catarrhal symptoms were more severe. Higher tissue concentrations of ascorbic acid tended to be associated with low total, toxic, and catarrhal symptom values. A rise in tissue ascorbic acid was associated with less severe catarrhal symptoms in females. Ascorbic acid concentrations in the plasma and tongue were significantly higher after the subjects had recovered from their cold symptoms. Increasing the loading dose of vitamin C from 500 to 2000 mg more than doubled the leukocyte concentration of ascorbic acid in females. The higher dose enabled uptake of the vitamin into the leukocytes to take place over a 4-hour period. It did not give rise to increased uptake into male leukocytes. Administration of supplementary vitamin C elevated plasma ascorbic acid. The ascorbic acid then passed into the tissues depleted of vitamin C during the cold syndrome. A single supplementary dose of 2000 mg vitamin C can replete leukocyte ascorbic acid during a 4-hour period in females, but a larger dose may be necessary in males.