title: The significance of the evidence about ascorbic acid and the common cold.
abstract: Only four independent double-blind studies have been reported of the effect of ascorbic acid regularly ingested in daily amounts more than 100 mg, in comparison with a placebo, in decreasing the incidence and integrated morbidity of the common cold for subjects exposed to cold viruses in the ordinary way and without colds when the test period began. A statistical analysis of these four studies leads to rejection of the null hypothesis that ascorbic acid has no more protective power than the placebo at the 99.86% level of confidence for the incidence of colds and the 99.9978% level of confidence for the integrated morbidity.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003139:Common Cold / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010919:Placebos; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D001205:Ascorbic Acid