The idea originally came from Nobel prize-winning chemist Linus Pauling in the 1970s. Pauling reported that there was ‘strong evidence’ that vitamin C decreased the incidence of colds.

The self-taught chemist. Linus Pauling's lifelong fascination with chemistry was ignited during childhood by a friend's chemistry set. He was born on February 28, 1901, in Portland, Oregon, to a ...