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Really? : The Claim: Zinc Can Help You Beat A ColdTHE FACTS Leif ParsonsRelated Times Health Guide: The Common Cold » As cold season gets under way, countless sneezing and sniffling Americans will turn to zinc as their treatment of choice. But does it actually work? 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. For those who do insist on zinc, it is worth knowing that the studies that endorse it have found that it should be taken within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms to be most effective. THE BOTTOM LINE The research on zinc as a cold fighter is mixed. scitimes@nytimes.com Tag CloudExternal InformationAdditional InformationA Conversation With Robert D. Hall: The Fine Art of Watching a Bug’s Life to Exp...True North... Satellite Shooting Is Next as Shuttle Heads Home... Poachers in West Hunt Big Antlers to Feed Big Egos... Where Am I?News Main Page - Business - Really? : The Claim: Zinc Can Help You Beat A Cold |
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