Inspired by a recent talk from Professor Daniel Davis at New Scientist Live (NSLive) in London, Staff Writer Florence Lakin explores how healthcare myths become embedded in our culture and accepted as truth, particularly when it comes to immune health. A prevalent example is the belief that vitamin C can cure the common cold.
How Did This Myth Catch On?
Many of us grew up being told to drink orange juice or sip on hot lemon when we have a cold. In fact, increasing consumption of vitamin C after the onset of symptoms actually has little to no effect on curing it.
This particular myth stems from one scientist, Linus Pauling. Having won two Nobel Prizes, Pauling was a respected member of the scientific community as well as having significant influence on the public.
Catching on in the 1970s, his claim largely relied on ‘cherry-picked’ evidence, with the main study being on a mere 62 children in a skiing school in the Swiss Alps. His statement still managed to gain such traction that drug companies reported over 100% increases in sales in the weeks that followed.
What Affects The Immune System The Most?
Fortunately, vitamin C does have some positive effects, such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. These, however, only come when it is supplemented regularly. This has also been shown to shorten the duration of a cold by eight percent, but countless factors can influence immune health, making it extremely difficult to prove the effects of changing just one. Stress, exercise, sleep, nutrition and the microbiome are among them, with one of the most significant being genetics.
The genes that vary the most between individuals are those that control the immune system, making it one of our most unique traits, whilst also being one that is out of our control.
A key mechanism of immune system activation involves infected cells. These present a small sample of the proteins inside them on their surface in a cup-like structure, called a HLA protein. This acts like a flag, signalling for the body to initiate an immune response. Genes encoding for this HLA protein ‘cup’ show huge variability between individuals. Due to this, one person’s ability to initiate an immune response to a certain virus may be better than another’s, giving them decreased symptoms and shorter recovery time.
The popularity of many healthcare myths such as the vitamin C cure highlights how easily unevidenced ideas can take hold and persist within society. In an age where misinformation and pseudoscience are so widespread and easily available due to social media, it is vital that we think critically about who and what to trust. While these myths are easy to believe, understanding how the human body truly works can allow us to take control of our own health and wellbeing.
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