Zinc acetate lozenges work just as well for treating colds in people of different ages, genders, races, allergies, smoking habits, or how bad their cold is when they start.

Taking high-dose zinc lozenges helps adults with colds feel better, and it works the same way for everyone—no matter if they have allergies, smoke, how bad their cold is, their age, gender, or background.

Taking high-dose zinc lozenges can shorten how long you have a cold by about 3 days, especially for adults between 20 and 50 years old.

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 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.

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.