In a review of 15 clinical studies involving more than 1, participants, the authors concluded that taking zinc within 24 hours of the first signs of a cold reduced cold duration. Although the research indicates that zinc can shorten the duration of a cold, the exact mechanism of action by which zinc works is uncertain.
However, there are several theories. The cold symptoms you experience — cough, sore throat, and congestion — are effects of the immune response to the cold virus.
On the basis of studies that evaluated the effect of zinc, zinc is thought to interfere with the ability of rhinovirus to replicate. Follow recommended dosing for each product. Most colds are caused by a type of virus called rhinovirus, a family of more than viruses that can multiply in the upper respiratory system the nasal passages and throat.
Research suggests that zinc interferes with the ability of rhinovirus to multiply. Zinc lozenges and other delivery methods allow zinc to work with the body where the cold virus lives and may be the most effective for easing cold symptoms. Cold Shortening. Medicated Fruit Drops. Nasal Spray. Nasal Swabs.
Elderberry Medicated Fruit Drops. Extreme Congestion Relief. Intense Sinus Relief. Allergy Relief. Allergy Relief Swabs. Zicam Cold Remedy.
About Zicam Products. About the Common Cold. Cold Viruses. Common Cold Facts and Myths. Red meat , poultry, and certain types of seafood like crab, lobster, and oysters are the best sources of zinc. A 3-ounce burger provides about half your daily need. Zinc is also found in plant foods , such as seeds, nuts, and legumes, but in lower amounts. An ounce of almonds, for example, contains just under 1 mg.
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Why People Get Colds in Quarantine. It claims to reduce the duration of a cold. Indeed, a study from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation of healthy young people found that the product reduced cold duration from six days to four.
Other studies have had less decisive results. One, in the American Journal of Medicine in , found no benefit. Here's the problem: The FDA is examining reports that the product causes anosmia -- loss of smell. There are lawsuits pending. There is some evidence that applying zinc in the nose can, in rare cases, damage the sense of smell, possibly permanently. Is it worth the risk, just to reduce the duration of a cold by a couple of days? We say no. Airborne, concocted and marketed by a teacher and touted on the Oprah show, is a tablet you dissolve in water like Alka-Seltzer.
The adult formulation contains high doses of vitamin A 5, IU and vitamin C 1, milligrams , as well as vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, selenium and a bouquet of Chinese herbs, including Chinese vitex, isatis root, and others, plus the more familiar-sounding echinacea, ginger, forsythia and honeysuckle. You're supposed to take the product every three hours at the first sign of a cold, so you could get very large doses of vitamins and minerals. High doses of vitamin A are dangerous for pregnant women, and over the long term could increase the risk of osteoporosis.
The safe upper limit is only 10, IU -- that's just two Airborne tablets. There is no truth to the idea that high doses of vitamin C or other vitamins, and in particular vitamin A, will prevent a cold or alleviate symptoms -- and no credible evidence that any of these other ingredients except possibly zinc would be useful in any way.
No one knows what the side effects of the herbs might be -- Chinese vitex, for instance, has been linked to increases in blood pressure. Surely, with Airborne's huge sales, the company could afford to sponsor some solid research.
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