Taking zinc lozenges when you first start feeling sick with a cold might help you get better faster and feel less miserable.

Scientists still don't know exactly how zinc lozenges help shorten how long you feel sick with a cold.

Taking zinc lozenges with a certain ingredient can shorten how long you have a cold by almost half, according to studies on people with real colds.

Taking zinc lozenges with less than 75 mg per day doesn't seem to shorten how long a cold lasts, based on studies comparing them to fake pills. It might only work if you take enough.

Taking zinc lozenges with a certain amount of zinc each day can help shorten how long a cold lasts in adults by about one-third, based on a big review of 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.