It seems that everyone on campus has bronchitis. (Yes, I am the girl who hacks her lungs up once a class.) Other friends have colds that are similar, like sore throats. One day I went to class with some of my friends. One of my best friends was suffering from a sore neck, and he drank a large bottle of orange juice.
“Why do you drink that?” I asked. He replied that he always heard that orange juice was rich in vitamin C and would heal his throat quicker. When I was younger and had strep, my doctor advised me to avoid acidic foods, such as orange juice. Since then, I’ve seen people drink orange juice to soothe their sore throats. I’ve always wondered if the orange juice myth was just a myth and if my doctor had been a quack.
According to my research, this is not the case. The acids in orange can irritate the throat. A study conducted at the University of Maryland found that orange juice does not help to cure a cold in the short term. A person’s cold duration will be reduced by a day if they consume Vitamin C consistently and at all times.
How can you help yourself with a cold? If you’re paranoid that next semester will bring the Penn State Plague to campus, you could be proactive by drinking more orange juice. If you are already sick like my friend, you can try home remedies, such as drinking chamomile and salt water.
I hope all my fellow Science 200ers are able to avoid the Penn State Plague, but in case you get this horrible, scratchy feeling, do not drink orange juice.
Orange juice contains a lot of vitamin C. This nutrient is often credited for preventing or treating everything from strep to colds. However, this connection between vitamin and throat health could be an urban myth. Orange juice and other citrus juices can aggravate a sore throat because they are acidic.
Vitamin C Fights Viruses that Cause Sore Throats
Vitamin C doesn’t cure colds and flu. However, it can reduce their frequency and length. Orange juice is a great way to prevent colds – but only if you drink it before your throat gets sore. Stephen Lawson, a researcher at the Linus-Pauling Institute of Oregon State University, told Live Science that supplementing with vitamin C can both reduce cold duration and offer some protection from colds. However, it is not very dramatic. Lawson stated that although vitamin C can activate white blood cell, which attacks virus cells, its mechanisms are still not understood.
Avoid Acidity When Your Throat is Sore
Skip the orange juice if you want to speed up the healing process for your sore neck. Orange juice is packed with nutrients, but it is also very acidic. This makes it a poor alternative to other throat-soothing drinks like hot tea or soup. Michael Klaper, M.D., a nutrition expert and author, wrote on his website that orange juice, lemonade, and other citrus drinks could burn your already inflamed throat membranes. Hot soup or tea soothes these membranes and promotes quick healing, keeping your cough at bay.
