Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid is one of the most well known supplements. Most mothers and pediatricians used this vitamin as way to prevent common colds in their newborns and children.

However, new studies have shown that Vitamin C does little to prevent or shorten the length of colds. A joint effort between the Australian National University and University of Helsinki, which studied 11,000 people who took daily doses of Vitamin C measuring 200 milligrams, showed that the Vitamin had no effect on preventing colds or shortening their length. However, people exposed to extreme temperatures were less likely to catch colds if they took Vitamin C everyday.

Vitamin C was first discovered in early 30's to prevent lung infections and cold treatments.

In 1970, Nobel Prize-winning Chemist Linus Pauling released his book, "Vitamin C and Common Colds" to encourage people to take at least 1,000 milligrams of Vitamin C everyday.