Zinc...A Cure For The Common Cold?
The common cold is caused by a variety of viruses that infect
the
breathing passages. Because these viruses are easily passed from
one person to another the
common cold is one of the most frequent illnesses in the world.
Affecting both children
and adults, colds account for countless hours of lost time from
work and play.
The symptoms of a common cold include nasal drainage, cough,
headache, muscle aches, sore
throat, hoarseness, fever, and sneezing. There is no known
treatment for the common cold.
Zinc has been shown, in preliminary studies, to inhibit the
reproduction of viruses and
may promote the production of the virus-fighter interferon. In
order to determine the
effectiveness of zinc lozenges as treatment for the common cold,
Sherif B. Mossad, M.D.
and colleagues studied 100 patients at the Cleveland Clinic.
Patients treated received
zinc gluconate lozenges within 24 hours of contracting a cold.
They continued to dissolve
the lozenges in their mouths every 2 hours while awake until all
cold symptoms had gone
away. The patients recorded their symptoms on a daily log.
The results of the Cleveland Clinic study, published in the
Annals of Internal Medicine
(1996;125:81-88), showed a significantly shorter duration of
symptoms (4.4 days vs. 7.6
days) in patients taking the zinc lozenges compared to those who
were given placebo
(non-zinc) lozenges.
The results of this study require the support of others to
determine if patients with the
common cold should take zinc. If verified, they could lead to
significant economic savings
in lost wages and labor as well as increased playtime for those
who are released earlier
from the clutches of the common cold. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaachhoooooo!
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Last Editorial Review: 7/7/2004
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