When respiratory virus season hits, it\u2019s fair to want to do everything you can to supercharge your immune system. But while supplements come up a lot, it\u2019s hard to know which to choose. <\/p>\n
When it comes to vitamin C vs. zinc for your immune system, which is better? And what do they even do anyway? <\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to get this out of the way now: Popping a supplement isn\u2019t going to keep you from catching a virus. But if you\u2019re deficient in either vitamin C or zinc, taking a supplement may help get you to where you need to be to have as healthy an immune system as possible. <\/p>\n
Meet the experts<\/strong>: Amesh A. Adalja, M.D.,<\/a> is a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Thomas Russo, M.D.,<\/a> is a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York; Sonya Angelone, Ph.D., R.D.N.,<\/a> is a nutritionist and registered dietitian based in San Francisco<\/p>\n With that in mind, we tapped two infectious disease doctors and a dietitian for their take on which is better for your immune health. If supplements aren\u2019t quite your speed, but you want to improve your intake of vitamin C or zinc, we\u2019ve also broken down foods packed with both to dive into. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n What is vitamin C?<\/strong><\/p>\n Vitamin C, a.k.a. L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that you need to get from food and supplements, according to the National Institutes of Health<\/a> (NIH). Meaning, your body can\u2019t make vitamin C on its own, explains Sonya Angelone, Ph.D., R.D.N.,<\/a> a nutritionist and registered dietitian based in San Francisco.<\/p>\n \u201cVitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin which means it helps quench harmful molecules that get generated every day through exercise, metabolism, and that we are exposed to through the environment,\u201d Angelone says. \u201cVitamin C is important for collagen production, wound healing and iron absorption.\u201d<\/p>\n Most adult women need 65 to 75 milligrams of vitamin C daily, and most adult men need 75 to 90 milligrams of the vitamin a day, per the NIH<\/a>. Most American adults get enough vitamin C in their diet, but some people tend to be lower in it than others. Those include people who smoke, those who eat a limited diet, and people with certain medical conditions like certain types of cancer and severe malabsorption, according to the NIH. <\/p>\n What is zinc?<\/strong><\/p>\n Zinc is a trace mineral that\u2019s found in cells throughout your body, the NIH<\/a> explains. \u201cIt is crucial for a healthy immune system, for wound healing, for normal taste and smell and for making new DNA,\u201d Angelone says. \u201cZinc also needs to come from the diet or supplements since your body does not make or store zinc.\u201d<\/p>\n The daily recommendations for how much zinc you need varies by age. But most adult women need 8 to 12 milligrams of zinc each day, while most adult men need 11 milligrams.<\/p>\n Which is better for your immune system?<\/strong><\/p>\n First, let\u2019s get into what each does for your immune system. \u201cSome human and animal studies suggest that vitamin C may modulate the immune response,\u201d says Amesh A. Adalja, M.D.,<\/a> a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. That could be through increasing the lifespan of T-cells, a type of white blood cell that fights infections, he says. \u201cThat may translate into protection against certain viral infections,\u201d Dr. Adalja says. <\/p>\n \u201cVitamin C is really critical to optimized immune function,\u201d says Thomas Russo, M.D.,<\/a> a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York. \u201cIt supports all arms of the immune defenses.\u201d <\/p>\n Zinc is needed to support immune cells, including T cells and natural killer cells, which are a type of white blood cell that can kill viruses, Dr. Russo explains. <\/p>\n As for which is better for your immune system, Dr. Russo says that\u2019s hard to parse out. \u201cThey both play independent, important roles for the immune system,\u201d he says. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to be deficient in either.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a huge caveat: While vitamin C and zinc are both important for your immune health, Dr. Russo says there\u2019s no need for most people who get enough of each in their diet to take a supplement containing either nutrient. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you have an adequate level of vitamin C in your diet, which most well-nourished individuals do, does boosting it with a high-dose supplement do anything? That\u2019s where the data doesn\u2019t exist,\u201d Dr. Russo says. \u201cThe same is true for zinc.\u201d<\/p>\n To be fair, there is some data<\/a> to suggest that zinc may help to shorten the duration of a cold, and that taking vitamin C may help make colds less severe<\/a>. But there\u2019s not a robust body of research to support this. <\/p>\n \u201cA regular balanced diet is sufficient,\u201d Dr. Adalja says. \u201cNot many, outside of the malnourished, are deficient in zinc or vitamin C.\u201d Dr. Russo agrees. \u201cTaking a multivitamin with zinc and vitamin C is OK,\u201d he says. \u201cBut with high-dose supplements, you end up urinating most of it out.\u201d <\/p>\n Signs of vitamin C deficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n Again, it\u2019s rare to be deficient in vitamin C in the U.S. But people who have little or no vitamin C for weeks may get scurvy, a condition that causes fatigue, gum inflammation, purple spots on the skin, joint pain, loose teeth, and anemia, per the NIH.<\/p>\n People who are low in vitamin C (but not deficient) may have frequent colds and infections, Angelone says. <\/p>\n Signs of zinc deficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re deficient in zinc, you may struggle with loss of taste and smell, have wounds that are slow to heal, and struggle with thinking, reasoning, and memory, according to Angelone. <\/p>\n Vitamin C drug interactions<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re on a prescription medication or undergoing treatment, it\u2019s important to talk to your healthcare provider about all of your supplement use. But it\u2019s also crucial for you to be aware that vitamin C may interact with some medications. Those include statins and cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy, per the NIH. <\/p>\n Zinc drug interactions<\/strong><\/p>\n Like vitamin C, zinc has the potential to interact with certain medications. Quinolone antibiotics like Cipro and tetracycline antibiotics may reduce the amount of zinc and the antibiotic that your body absorbs, per the NIH. Zinc can also interfere with the absorption of a medication called penicillamine, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Thiazide diuretics can also cause you to lose more zinc in your urine, according to the NIH. <\/p>\n What\u2019s the best way to get vitamin C?<\/strong><\/p>\n These foods have high levels of vitamin C, according to the NIH:<\/p>\n\n