Taking high-dose zinc lozenges for a cold for up to two weeks is generally safe and well-tolerated, with few side effects, according to studies with nearly 200 people.

Taking high-dose zinc lozenges right when you start feeling a cold can shorten how long you're sick by almost half, according to studies in adults.

Taking zinc acetate lozenges for colds, at doses up to about 90 mg per day, didn't cause any major side effects in studies with nearly 200 people.

Taking high-dose zinc lozenges every day might help adults get over colds faster—cutting how long you're sick by more than a third compared to not taking them.

When people take zinc lozenges soon after getting a cold, they usually don't have bad side effects and don't quit the treatment early in studies.

Taking certain zinc lozenges (not the acetate kind) in high daily doses might shorten how long you have a cold by about one-fifth, but different brands or types seem to work differently based on studies.