Is zinc an effective cold remedy?
Researchers have studied the use of zinc as a cold remedy and as a way to treat the cold virus. Still, the data from years of scientific studies are mixed. The most recent published data was a review of 15 previous studies. The research found that taking zinc, either as a syrup or lozenge, through the first few days of a cold may shorten the misery. It also appeared to prevent colds in people who used it over the course of about five months. In other studies, researchers found no differences in cold symptoms between those who took zinc and those who took a placebo or sugar pill. What do these findings on zinc and colds mean to you and your family? For now, the study results on using zinc as a cold remedy are inconclusive. For every study showing a positive benefit with zinc, there’s another study showing no benefit at all. In fact, some believe that if there is any benefit in taking zinc or zinc lozenges, it is very minor. There are a few important factors about the use of zinc for the
