Zinc lozenges to treat a cold? Worth a try

The phrase on the front of the packaging for Cold-Eeze zinc lozenges says it all: “Clinically proven to reduce the duration of the common cold.”

While I always give them a try when I feel a cold coming on, I’ve always wondered if the package is referring to one small study, or if there’s conflicting evidence.

So this week, I was excited to see a systematic review on zinc for the treatment of the common cold.  The authors found 17 randomized controlled trials comparing orally administered zinc with placebo or no treatment. And those studies included more than 2,000 patients.

The results?  Zinc did shorten the duration of cold symptoms in adult patients compared to those given placebo by a little over a day. No effect was seen for children taking zinc. The lozenges did cause some bad taste and nausea in study participants.

The authors also called for more extensive research solidify recommendations and  take an in-depth look at adverse effects.

For the time being, I’m going to keep up the zinc. A day or two without sniffles and body aches seems well worth it to me.

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