Forums >Health and Nutrition>Zinc reduces symptoms of common cold
Interesting info on value of Zinc for colds. The concept is not new but a meta-analysis seems to confimr Zinc's value to reducing symptoms of a cold by days (up to 40%) when taken in doses of at least 75 mg per day. One of the orginal studies by Eby also recommended taking 23 mg every two waking hours when one has symptoms of a cold or feels one coming on. A pretty harmless treatment with potentially strong results. Interesting to me!
http://benthamscience.com/open/tormj/articles/V005/51TORMJ.pdf
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Zinc Lozenges May Shorten the Duration of Colds: A Systematic Review
Harri Hemilàˆ*
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Abstract:
Background: A number of controlled trials have examined the effect of zinc lozenges on the common cold but the findings have diverged. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the total daily dose of zinc might explain part of the variation in the results.
Methods: The Medline, Scopus and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials data bases were searched for placebo- controlled trials examining the effect of zinc lozenges on common cold duration. Two methods were used for analysis: the P-values of the trials were combined by using the Fisher method and the results of the trials were pooled by using the inverse-variance method. Both approaches were used for all the identified trials and separately for the low zinc dose and the high zinc dose trials.
Results: Thirteen placebo-controlled comparisons have examined the therapeutic effect of zinc lozenges on common cold episodes of natural origin. Five of the trials used a total daily zinc dose of less than 75 mg and uniformly found no effect. Three trials used zinc acetate in daily doses of over 75 mg, the pooled result indicating a 42% reduction in the duration of colds (95% CI: 35% to 48%). Five trials used zinc salts other than acetate in daily doses of over 75 mg, the pooled result indicating a 20% reduction in the duration of colds (95% CI: 12% to 28%).
Conclusions: This study shows strong evidence that the zinc lozenge effect on common cold duration is heterogeneous so that benefit is observed with high doses of zinc but not with low doses. The effects of zinc lozenges should be further studied to determine the optimal lozenge compositions and treatment strategies.
Keywords: Meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials, respiratory infections, zinc.
The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal, 2011, 5, 51-58
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Ok, so, Trent...can you put that in normal people's terms?? I'm sick with a horrible cold right now, and too lazy to try and figure out what that meant. Should I run out and buy Zinc or am I wasting my time/money?
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Zinc always seems to work for me. Whenever I start feeling rundown with something coming on, I pop zinc several times a day. Last year I had 5 colds (damn kid starting school), and none really escalated to being bad and running me down and symptoms were pretty non-existant after two to three days. In the past, I'd be down close to a week and so out of it, couldn't do anything but lay around.
Eye of Sauron
So I should stick with the zicam?
And once again Mr. Wizard (aka: Stevie Ray) explains the internet.
Ok, so, Trent...can you put that in normal people's terms??
Yeah, after I read the whole article.
Zinc always seems to work for me.
anecdote ≠ data
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Well? The internet is waiting.
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Brad Hudson has his athletes take zinc as one of their very few supplements. Runners in general could stand to take in more magnesium, potassium, etc. than available in the typical diet.
Ostrich runner
Ostriches have diets high in zinc.
http://www.runningahead.com/groups/Indy/forum
Pennies minted after 1982 are 97.5% zinc.
Menace to Sobriety
Maybe we should just eat more ostrich. I hear they're pretty tasty.
I have had ostrich donner kebabs before. Fantastic.
donner as in the donner party?
I guess I had an extra n in there.
All kinds of things were available during foot-and-mouth culls.
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