Lisa Bell, Know Your Numbers

When you first get the sniffles, you can megadose vitamin C.

About 8 grams is standard, but if you're out of orange juice, don't worry about it.  It probably wouldn't help you much anyway.

One group of researchers has been studying the effects of vitamin C on the common cold for 65 years and they recently published their results.

The bottom line is that It doesn't hurt, but doesn't help a whole lot, either.

Extra vitamin C might help kids a little more than grownups if you megadose at the very first sign of a cold, but doctors say it will only help shorten the length of your illness between about 8 and 14 percent.

While we're on a vitamin kick, let's talk abut sunshine and how much vitamin D you need. That's in next week's Know Your Numbers.