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Article: Does zinc help colds?(Brief article)
- Article from:
- Women's Health Letter
- Article date:
- July 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Women's Health Letter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Various studies have looked at using zinc lozenges to shorten the length of colds. Some say it helps, while others say it doesn't. Why is there so much variation in results? The answer may be in the form of zinc, what it's taken with, and how soon you begin using it.
Four dozen people were given 12.8 mg of zinc acetate every two to three hours within 24 hours of experiencing cold symptoms. The symptoms lasted half as long in those taking the zinc lozenges as for those taking a placebo (4.5 days compared with 8.1 days). Coughs were reduced significantly (three days for zinc; six days for placebo). Dry mouth and constipation in some were the only side effects, and ...