Authors of the Cochrane Collaboration, an Oxford based not-for-profit institution, have identified that taking zinc, either through syrup, tablets or lozenges, can reduce the duration and severity of a common cold.
The institution’s review included 15 clinical trials since 1984 and included 1,360 people. The trial involved people suffering from common colds taking zinc supplements every two hours. The results showed that they were twice as likely to shed the cold within a week compared with those who didn’t take zinc.
The trials involved people taking doses ranging from 30 to 150mg per day, however the daily recommended amount is currently15mg.
The review concludes that caution must be taken due to the dose recommendations, the duration for taking the supplement, and more importantly that side effects were observed throughout testing. During the review some of the people involved had nausea, bad taste and diarrhoea.
Adults typically ‘catch’ two to four common colds a year, with children likely to catch up to ten.