It’s that time of year when the immune system is low and the number of colds is at an all-time high, but you might want to think twice before reaching for an Emergen-C.
According to TikTok According to user Meghan Elinor, vitamin C blends may not be the best option for boosting your immune system because they contain a lot of sugar.
“Can someone please tell me why anyone today would still recommend taking vitamin C immune packs that supposedly contain a thousand milligrams of vitamin C?” she started the video.
“Like, there are actual doctors who recommend this… OK?” she asked.
“If you turn around and read the ingredients, have you noticed that there is six times the amount of sugar in each of these packets, compared to the amount of vitamin C,” the content creator continued.
“The vast majority of the type of vitamin C that’s in here won’t actually be absorbed by your body or used properly,” she said indignantly.
“You’re literally just going to bulge it out.”
The content creator then talked about “quick fixes.”
According to TikTok user Meghan Elinor, the vitamin C mix may not be the best idea because they contain a lot of sugar
“They say everyone should take this every day to boost their immunity, instead of actually eating healthy and exercising and letting your body do what it’s meant to do,” she ranted.
‘[Instead] they say, ‘Have some sugar water,’ ‘Sugar water will make you feel better.’
“The amount of sugar compared to the actual benefits you get from it: crap,” she said. ‘Start eating purely natural foods.’
One 9.1 gram pack of Emergen-C contains six grams of sugar, which means that approximately two-thirds of the pack consists of sugar.
Users flooded her video with comments, with many admitting they hadn’t realized the sugar content. However, some said they still planned to use Emergen-C.
“I agree with you for everyday life, but when you’re sick, you need sugar to help prevent dehydration.” That’s why effective electrolytes contain sugar,” one user noted.
‘Oh my God, I’ve been using this every day for years. The good news is I haven’t had a cold in three years, but I have to avoid the sugar and I’m trying to use a sugar-free version,” wrote another.
“They work when I feel sick,” another commented.
“I’ve never seen it recommended every day. I take it when I start to feel sick. Works well in my experience,” someone else wrote.
One 9.1 gram pack of Emergen-C contains 6 grams of sugar, which means that approximately two-thirds of the pack consists of sugar
According to GoodRX, the average dose of vitamin C for a cold is somewhere between 1,000 mg and 2,000 mg.
Users flooded her video with comments, many unaware of the sugar content
In an email to the Daily Dot, a spokesperson for the company that owns Emergen-C, Haleon, said it also offers Emergen-C Zero Sugar.
“All Emergen-C products contain a combination of select vitamins and minerals to support the immune system and keep you feeling good,” Haleon told the publication.
‘Emergen-C Immune+ Triple Action activates, supports and strengthens the immune system with BetaVia®, vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D and contains no artificial sweeteners.
“People who prefer a sugar-free option can enjoy Emergen-C Zero Sugar, available at major retailers like Amazon and Walmart.”
According to GoodRX, the average dose of vitamin C for a cold is between 1,000 mg and 2,000 mg.
“This is based on the dose range in studies looking at the safety and effectiveness of vitamin C for treating the common cold,” the website says. ‘These are high doses of vitamin C and above the recommended daily allowance.’
William Curry, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, shared Health that the link between vitamin C and the common cold is inconclusive.
“The research is not of very high quality and the results are mixed,” he said.
The National Institute of Health recommends that adults need a daily allowance of 8 mg of zinc for adult women and 11 mg for adult men, with one Emergen-C packet containing only 2 mg of zinc.
You can get vitamin C naturally from broccoli, Brussels sprouts, melon, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, red and green peppers and strawberries.