It's Cold Season: Should you be taking zinc?

Adults are no different than kids in their distaste for being sick. And when we get sick we want to be able to do more than just rest and drink plenty of fluids. Yet, when it comes to the common cold, figuring out what can be done to shorten the illness' duration continues to elude western medicine. So alternative approaches have gained significant mind share, one of those being zinc supplements. But does taking zinc work? This question was asked and largely answered in a recent New York Times article:

More than 100 studies in the past two decades have examined the question. Some have found zinc to be effective, and have proposed various reasons. But many more have found little or no evidence that it works.

One of the most extensive studies appeared in the journal Clinical and Infectious Diseases in 2000. In it, scientists randomly assigned more than 500 people — about half with natural colds, and the other half deliberately infected — to receive placebo or zinc lozenges in various doses. After secluding the subjects in hotel rooms and examining them for five days, the researchers concluded that zinc gluconate lozenges produced “modest” benefit, while zinc acetate lozenges did nothing.

Another study, published this year by researchers at Stanford Medical School, collected and analyzed data from 14 previous placebo-controlled studies of zinc. Over all, the scientists determined, the effectiveness of zinc lozenges “has yet to be established,” while there was some slight evidence for zinc nasal gels.

In short, zinc does little if anything to combat or shorten the common cold. The Times article also noted that if you are still determined to take it that the few studies that endorse its use have found that it should be taken within 24 hours of the first symptoms.