Zinc May Help Fight The Common Cold After All

First they said no, now they say yes!

Turns out zinc, a historically hotly debated supplement, can in fact help reduce the length of the common cold. This, according to a new review conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration, the same group of researchers that in 1999 found zinc to be little more effective than a placebo.

Well things change. In this review the researchers studied placebo-controlled, double-blind trials examining zinc dating as far back as 1984. Pulling from 15 trials (as opposed to the 8 examined in the 1999 review) of more than 1,300 people, Cochrane determined that zinc not only shortened the length of the common cold -- if taken within 24 hours of first symptoms -- but also lessened the severity.

But here's the real ringer from the Cochrane Collaboration's study: "Zinc supplementation for at least five months reduces incidence, school absenteeism and prescription of antibiotics for children with the common cold." That's right, a steady supplementation of zinc may reduce the the incidence of the common cold, even keep you away from the doctor's office.

Still there are skeptics. "The theory is great, but the study is not," said Dr. Richard Besser, Chief Health and Medical Editor for ABC News. "They're not looking at any new data, they are looking at everything that has been published so far, and the worst part of this is the data on prevention. I really see very little evidence that it prevents infection."

Before running out to stock up on zinc lozenges, pills and syrups, keep in mind that zinc still has its drawbacks. Side effects can include nausea, a bad taste in the mouth, loss of smell (when administered in the nose), diarrhea, dry mouth and abdominal pain. (Because the doses of zinc administered varied from study to study, Cochrane reviewers did not pinpoint an exact dose likely to cause side effects.) See here for recommended daily doses of zinc.

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Comments

[gemzenith]

03:38 PM on 02/20/2011

I've taken zinc for at least 15 years and can't remember the last time I've had a cold, or flu even despite being in the workplace with many of my co-workers being ill.

[Pete59]

03:51 AM on 02/19/2011

Zinc is much less dangerous in overdose than the paracetamol in the cold remedies.

[peithecelt]

01:30 PM on 02/17/2011

And at least for some of us, while it's helping us avoid a cold, that one little tablet of a zinc supplement will leave us vomiting for hours. Colds suck, but they suck WAY less than throwing up!

[kkrimmer]

12:38 PM on 02/17/2011

Side effects can include nausea, a bad taste in the mouth, loss of smell (when administered in the nose), diarrhea, dry mouth and abdominal pain.
-----

so what if I poop myself at school at least I'm avoiding a cold.

[skorchedutopia]

02:31 PM on 02/17/2011

And any person experiencing side effects like that would, oh I don't know, halve the freaking dose! Nausea = Too Much. Quite simple. Ever get tinnitus from Aspirin?

Do you still take Aspirin?

[mzrecycle]

09:11 AM on 02/17/2011

To risk hearing loss just to shorten a cold by a day?? Not going to do it.

I've been stopping colds in their tracks for 4 decades by gargling with 1 part apple cider vinegar/2 parts water at the first sign of a sore throat. Read about it in a book of the many uses for vinegar. Not always successful, depends on my general immune health, how soon I notice sore throat, and if the particular cold virus is a new mutation.
I now keep a small bottle of vinegar in the bathroom so if I wake in the middle of the night with first symptom, I don't have to go downstairs for vinegar.
It doesn't kill the virus, it makes it hard for the virus to reproduce. All bacteria and viruses have to reach a certain number to go systemic. With the pH of the throat reduced, that number never gets reached and the virus just spends a day or so in the throat and then gone. Just continue to gargle every few hours while awake. If you awaken during night, gargle.
It's simple, widely available, inexpensive, doesn't have awful side effects and quite effective.

[jplanner]

06:46 AM on 02/17/2011

Eby's cold cure was best on the market. Skeptic always, I couldn't believe it worked. It' s not on market any more. That drying taste zinc has? thats demostration of zinc ions in the mouth and those are the substance that works. So you want that drying taste tho it can be nauseating.

[jplanner]

06:42 AM on 02/17/2011

The problem with how the reporting and even understanding of "Zinc" and colds is that the chemical that prevents colds is the zinc ion itself...ionized zinc. Lozenges etc are availabile in zinc acetate, zinc citrate, zinc gluconate etc. Each of these ionizes in solution (in your saliva in your mouth) to different degrees, or not at all. And, zinc ions are innactivated by certain substances...one is CITRIC ACID which is found in many cold remedies...especially lemon flavored ones.
So to test zinc effectively, the concentration of ionic zinc resulting from a spray or lozenge in the mouth must be meaured. To talk of Zinc globally...especially that it doesn't work...when 99% of zinc products on market dont' release active zinc ions enough...is lame. It compares apples to oranges. It's like how they say echinacea doesnt' work but different studies use different amounts, solutions from different parts of the plant (roots, stems, flowers), even differnet species of echinacea. THE relatively recent study that debunked echinacea reportedly used a much lower amount than herbalist typically recommend. They need to get it right before the jury decides on these things. Look up George Eby's website on zinc...he has a good explanation.

[purenergy]

04:17 AM on 02/17/2011

Why no mention of any foods rich in zinc? These are the top 10 zinc-rich foods.
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/zinc.php

[NoSillyName]

12:18 AM on 02/17/2011

I proved the value of using zinc lozenges to shorten or stop colds to myself decades ago. Zinc lozenges are a fixture in my medicine cabinet. Zinc gluconate 24 mg.

[ltague]

07:51 PM on 02/16/2011

I appreciate this kind of info but, omg: caffeine is good for you, caffeine is bad for you, eggs are bad for you, eggs are good for you, high doses of vitamin C good, no bad, then good again, & now zinc. It's seems the only way I'm willing to decide is if the study was done by a group that had a financial stake in it one way or the other; then I ignore the study altogether.

[jplanner]

06:44 AM on 02/17/2011

then you cheat yourself. One needs to look deeper...scientists are peer reviewed by others so have a stake in interpreting the data correctly and unbiasedly...it more than weighs out the financial stake...as their reputation is at stake. Sometimes there are legit reasons why things change...one needs to look deeper not throw up hands...tho I understand the impulse.

[foodcoma]

06:39 PM on 02/16/2011

I've been taking this fir years at the first sign of getting a cold. However, if you can find food based zinc - (i.e. zinc that has been extracted from food instead of chemical source) - it's much better because it won't give you that queasy feeling in your stomach.

[KBES]

04:18 PM on 02/16/2011

Zinc also reduces an enlarged prostate. Since I've been taking a zinc supplement I no longer have that constant going to the bathroom and then cannot empty issue in the middle of the night so common with men in there 50's and older

[MoreDimensions]

07:26 PM on 02/16/2011

Pumpkin seeds are used in some cultures to combat PBH.  They are high in zinc and beneficial fatty acids.

[KBES]

09:43 AM on 02/17/2011

Thanks for the info MoreDimenions. I'd rather use natural ways of combating aging then use pharmaceuticals. F and F

[ddanimal]

02:59 PM on 02/16/2011

Zinc, vitamins C, D, and A are all effective for the common cold and influenza.

[anytimecowboy]

01:37 PM on 02/16/2011

I swore by ZICAM zinc nasal gel. I never had a cold last more than one day. Then they took it off the market. Please bring it back, my sense of smell was never affected. There are double blind studies that show zinc nasal gel works.

[ddanimal]

03:00 PM on 02/16/2011

It is dangerous to insufflate zinc. Zinc damages the olfactory nerve. Taking it off the market was the correct thing to do.

DO NOT SNORT ZINC!

[Bergen2]

03:17 PM on 02/16/2011

Totally agree. It was good stuff for those of us who didn't have a problem with loosing the sense of smell.

[sean0008]

01:31 PM on 02/16/2011

I'm a skeptic. Personally I think it's snake oil, but at least it's better than suggesting someone use colloidal silver. Maybe I have a personal thing against Zinc since Zicam made me temporarily lose my sense of smell (and therefore most of my tasting ability) for several days a few years back. I was lucky since some people have reported longer-term loss of smell. The lozenges are probably safer, but I tried those too and did not like the metallic taste in my mouth. Are colds really so bad that they are worth the risk of the potential side effects of zinc?

Personally I find that sinus irrigation with warm salt water, as well as gargling with warm salt water, will greatly improve my symptoms during a cold. I will also try to get plenty of rest, vitamin-C, fluids, and take hot baths. If I feel it moving into my chest I will take guaifenesin (like Mucinex), and non-zinc lozenges can also be soothing. But keep that zinc junk away from me!

[ddanimal]

03:04 PM on 02/16/2011

Snake oil is an effective medicine. It contains the highest concentration of EPA omega 3 fatty acids of any naturally occurring oil. Chinese medicine used snake oil for indications that today are known to be effectively treated with EPA fatty acids (e.g. inflammatory conditions).

Zinc is effective, particularly if the user is somewhat zinc deficient (which is fairly common. But zinc should never be snorted because it damages the olfactory nerve.

Loss of smell can cause depression and other psychological problems. NEVER EVER SNORT ZINC.

[onionboy]

03:58 PM on 02/16/2011

I do the sinus irrigation as well. Just started for my allergies. Gets a little better each day, but I'm a patient guy. I'll give it at least a month.