How do you deal with the common cold? I’m always looking for ways to prevent it, shorten the length, or lessen the symptoms. I looked through research studies to investigate if zinc helps with colds!
The Common Cold
As most of us know, it is not feasible to fully prevent catching the common cold because there is no vaccine. However, having good hygiene, washing hands, disinfecting objects, and not sharing utensils or drinking glasses will lower the risk of contracting this virus. It has also been shown that people with a better immune system don’t get as many colds per year.
A stronger immune system is correlated with not having a chronic illness, sleeping 7-9 hours a day, exercising a few times a week, eating fruits and vegetables, and having less stress.
Zinc
Zinc has been widely studied on the effect of supplementation on the common cold. Zinc supplementation has been shown to improve outcomes on the common due to its significant role in immune function in the body. However, supplementation of zinc must be monitored because it can be toxic in very high doses, which can lead to immediate nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Long-term use of high zinc supplementation can lead to a deficiency in copper, which can lead to neurological problems, such as Wilson’s disease. So, zinc should not be taken for more than two weeks at high dosage for both adults and children.
Should I Take Zinc?
YES! The current research shows that zinc supplementation reduces the duration of the common cold and improves symptoms, such as stuffy nose, sneezing, and coughing. It works the best if zinc supplementation is taken within 24 hours of onset symptoms.
So right when you feel a scratchy throat or feel the cold coming, take zinc! They sell zinc lozenges, nose sprays, or throat sprays. The same results are shown in children as well as adults!
Does Zinc Prevent the Common Cold?
Overall, zinc supplementation doesn’t prevent catching the common cold but it can definitely help once you get it! Adults and children should supplement with zinc on the onset of the common cold symptoms in order to decrease the length and respiratory symptoms. However, you should discontinue when symptoms resolve to prevent copper deficiency and neurological problems.
References
Das, R. R., & Singh, M. (2014). Oral zinc for the common cold. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 311(14), 1440–1441.
Ford, S. (2017). “Strong evidence” common cold duration shortened by taking zinc lozenges. Nursing Times, 113(5), 1–3.
Hemilä, H. (2017). Duration of the common cold and similar continuous outcomes should be analyzed on the relative scale: a case study of two zinc lozenge trials. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 17, 82.
Hemilä, H., & Chalker, E. (2015). The effectiveness of high dose zinc acetate lozenges on various common cold symptoms: a meta-analysis. BMC Family Practice, 16(1), 1–11.
Hemilä, H., Fitzgerald, J. T., Petrus, E. J., & Prasad, A. (2017). Zinc Acetate Lozenges May Improve the Recovery Rate of Common Cold Patients: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 4(2).
Hemilä, H., Petrus, E. J., Fitzgerald, J. T., & Prasad, A. (2016). Zinc acetate lozenges for treating the common cold: an individual patient data meta‐analysis. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 82(5), 1393–1398.
Mohammad, M. K., Zhou, Z. , Cave, M. , Barve, A. and McClain, C. J. (2012), Zinc and Liver Disease. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 27: 8-20.
Rondanelli, M., Miccono, A., Lamburghini, S., Avanzato, I., Riva, A., Allegrini, P., Perna, S. (2018). Self-Care for Common Colds. Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine (ECAM), 2018, 1–36.
Roohani, N., Hurrell, R., Kelishadi, R., & Schulin, R. (2013). Zinc and its importance for human health: An integrative review. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 18(2), 144–157.
Vakili R, Vahedian M, Khodaei G, & Mahmoudi M. (2009). Effects of zinc supplementation in occurrence and duration of common cold in school aged children during cold season: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Iranian Journal of Pediatrics, 19(4), 376–380.
Wat, D. (2004). The common cold: a review of the literature. European Journal of Internal Medicine. 15 (2), 79-88.
