14 October 2004
USA: ZINC MAY HELP FIGHT COMMON COLD
The benefits of using zinc products to fight the common
cold are highlighted in this month's issue of the Journal of the American
Pharmacists Association, though the author believes that more research is
still needed.
The report reviews more than two decades of laboratory and clinical
research into the medicinal value of zinc, before conclud ing that zinc
gluconate, the active ingredient found in popular over-the-counter (OTC)
cold products, effectively reduces the dura tion of the cold and the
severity of cold symptoms.
Author Darrell Hulisz, associate professor of family medicine at the
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, noted that there had
recently been a series of strong, peer-reviewed clinical studies of zinc
gluconate that linked this ingredient with a significant reduction in the
duration of the common cold, as well as the severity of cold symptoms such
as sore throat, stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, and congestion.
"It is important to note that the products were most success ful when
administered within 24 hours of symptom onset," he wrote.
He added that clinical and laboratory evaluations are now needed to
further define the role of ionic zinc for the prevention and treatment of
the common cold and to clarify the biochemical mechanisms through which
zinc exerts its symptom-relieving effects.
Dr. Hulisz reviewed data sources published between 1980 and 2003.
Supplemental zinc, is often taken to prevent or treat colds, at doses
of up to 100 mg per day and is sold in various forms including capsules,
liquid and lozenges.
According to the National Institutes of Health, people suffer from an
estimated one billion colds in the US each year, causing 300 million days
of restricted activity and 22 million lost days of school and work. Adults
average about two to four colds a year, although the range varies widely.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the average
cold will last about nine to 12 days.
Note
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