Some people are enthusiastic about zinc supplements for the common cold, and a new analysis of research shows that zinc can indeed reduce the amount of time some people spend suffering with sniffles. The investigators reviewed 17 randomized, placebo-controlled trials with more than 2,000 volunteers. In these studies, the overall data show that zinc shortens the duration of cold symptoms by about two and a half days in adults. Children don’t appear to benefit from zinc, and most adults experience nausea or an unpleasant taste.
[Canadian Medical Association Journal, online May 7, 2012]
The People's Perspective on Medicine