Zinc lozenges need more than 75 mg of zinc per day to help fight colds. If you take less zinc or use lozenges with certain ingredients like citric acid, they might not work as well.

Zinc lozenges might help with colds, but it depends on how much zinc you take and what type of zinc it is. Taking more than 75 mg a day works, while less doesn't, and acetate zinc works better than other kinds.

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 zinc lozenges (like a special candy) right when you start feeling a cold can help you feel better. Using about 80-100 mg per day works best, and taking more than that doesn't give extra benefit.

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 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.