Is Zinc Good To Take While Sick?

Americans have more than 1 billion colds in any given year, according to MedlinePlus. The misery -- runny nose, stuffiness, sneezing and irritated throat -- spreads easily from person to person and typically lasts a week. While medications treat the symptoms, they have no effect on duration of the virus. Since the early 1980s, zinc has been thought to shorten colds, but the jury is still out regarding this possible benefit.

Function

The human body needs zinc in small amounts to stay healthy. This metal plays a role in the immune system and the healing of wounds and is used to treat a number of conditions, from skin disorders to eye problems to male infertility, according to MedlinePlus. The efficacy of of zinc in regard to some of these treatments remains unproven. Though a tiny amount of zinc suffices to meet human needs, a deficiency can cause big problems, including severe diarrhea and stunted growth in children. When used to fight colds, zinc may keep the cause of many colds -- the rhinovirus -- from multiplying and clinging to the tissues in the nose and throat, according to MayoClinic.com.

History

A study published in January 1984 in the journal "Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy" reported that zinc tablets, allowed to dissolve in the mouth like a lozenge, reduced the duration of colds in the participants by seven days. The participants took the zinc every two hours for seven days. Researchers said some patients reported that their symptoms disappeared within hours, and on average they said the cold lasted 3.9 days, compared with 10.8 days for the group taking a placebo. Some subjects taking the zinc tablets complained of nausea, bad taste and mouth irritation.

Research

Other studies have used zinc in different preparations and dosages, for differing lengths of treatment, with inadequate numbers of participants -- all of which has resulted in inconclusive findings, according to MayoClinic.com. A study published in 2011 in "The Open Respiratory Medical Journal" analyzed previous controlled trials to try to determine why some showed that zinc was effective and others did not. The new study found that zinc lozenges may shorten colds when taken at daily dosages above 75 milligrams. In trials that used a lower dose, the zinc made no difference. None of the studies indicated any long-term harm from using zinc lozenges.

Recommendation

Despite the little bit of research that showed zinc may shorten colds, further studies are needed to find palatable formulations for lozenges and determine the best dosages and treatment procedures. If you still have zinc nasal sprays or gels in your medicine cabinet, throw them out. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers in 2009 that those treatments could cause permanent loss of the sense of smell. The products have since been removed from the market. Because many questions remain unanswered, you should check with your doctor before using zinc in the battle against the common cold.