Can zinc heal a cold?

Recently an analysis of several studies showed that zinc lozenges or syrup reduced the length of a cold by one day, especially when taken within 24 hours of the first signs and symptoms of a cold.

mayoclinic.org - Zinc for colds: The final word? - Mayo Clinic

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Will taking zinc for colds make my colds go away faster? Answer From Pritish K. Tosh, M.D.

There is no guarantee that zinc will help you feel better faster.

In some studies, zinc did nothing to shorten how long people with colds felt bad. In other studies, zinc may have shortened symptoms by a few days. But the side effects from taking zinc can be uncomfortable or serious in some cases. No one enjoys the tiredness, scratchy or sore throat, drippy nose, headache, and cough of a cold. Viruses are the most common causes of colds, in particular viruses called rhinoviruses. There are more than 100 strains of rhinoviruses, and they are very good at growing in the nose and throat. The idea behind using zinc to stop cold symptoms is based on lab experiments. Scientists found that zinc blocked the rhinovirus from getting into cells. To test the idea, a study in 1984 used zinc as a tablet that dissolves in the mouth, called a lozenge. It compared people taking zinc with those taking a lozenge without zinc. The study found that zinc shortened the time people felt sick from their colds. It also reported a lot of side effects. Compared with people who didn't take zinc, those who did commonly complained of upset stomach, problems with taste and mouth irritation. Other side effects of taking zinc can be serious. Some people who used zinc nasal sprays had permanent loss of smell. Taken all together, research shows mixed results for zinc and colds. For that reason, zinc can't be recommended to shorten your cold symptoms. Researchers can't say why zinc works in some studies and not others. There are still questions about which type of zinc works best. Research also doesn't show what amount of zinc is the best. And researchers don't know how people can avoid the side effects of taking zinc. As a result, it's not clear what the best dose or treatment plan would be. The limit of zinc for adults is less than 40 mg a day unless their health care providers say otherwise. The safest option is to talk to your provider before using zinc when you have a cold.

With Pritish K. Tosh, M.D.

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Does zinc help sinus infection?

Australian researchers found that the supplements appear to help shorten respiratory tract infections, such as colds, flu, sinusitis and pneumonia.

webmd.com - Zinc Might Help Shorten Your Cold or Flu - WebMD

By Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporters

TUESDAY, Nov. 2, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Many people pop a zinc supplement at the first sign of a cold, and there's new evidence supporting the habit. Australian researchers found that the supplements appear to help shorten respiratory tract infections, such as colds, flu, sinusitis and pneumonia. Many over-the-counter cold and cough remedies offer only "marginal benefits," the researchers noted, making "zinc a viable 'natural' alternative for the self-management of non-specific [respiratory tract infections]." The study was led by Jennifer Hunter, associate professor at the NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University in Penrith, New South Wales. Her team published the findings Nov. 2 in the BMJ Open. According to Hunter's team, zinc as a nutrient has gained attention from researchers because it's known to play an important role in immunity, inflammation, tissue injury, blood pressure and in tissue responses to any lack of oxygen. To learn more about zinc's potential, the investigators reviewed more than two dozen clinical trials that included more than 5,400 adults. All were published in 17 English and Chinese research databases up to August 2020. None of them specifically examined the use of zinc for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.

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