What is the actual purpose of vitamin c? if taking it daily will not aid in the prevention of catching viruses, should i even bother taking it?

Balanced diet: A balanced diet provides plenty of vitamin c without supplements. Some studies have found minor benefit of otc zinc to decrease duration and severity of the common cold.

Reasonable question: People have long thought taking various vitamins, often at much higher than prescribed doses can help with various problems. However, no reliable study results show that vitamin c makes a different in a person with normal levels. Best bet for good health is eating well, exercising, sleeping, enjoying what you do, and maybe take a regular multivitamin a day. If you think extra vitamin c helps, okay.