The Study
Zinc lozenges as cure for the common cold – A review and hypothesis
This is like looking at many different cold medicine tests and noticing that ones with a certain type of zinc seemed to work better. But we can't say for sure it was the zinc that made people better, just that they seemed to go together.
Analysis score
Maximum 5 for a narrative review.
Where the score came from
Some zinc lozenges help shorten colds by releasing a special type of zinc called ionic zinc, but many don't work because they have additives or wrong ingredients.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 51 / 100
Quality score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, a 3-day reduction in cold duration is meaningful for faster recovery.
- 2Good lozenges reduced colds by about 3 days; bad ones did nothing.
- 35 out of 6 simple lozenges worked, but only 2 out of 9 complicated ones did.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Medical Hypotheses
Year
2009
Authors
G. Eby
Related Content
Claims (7)
Zinc lozenges with more ionic zinc seem to help shorten colds faster, based on studies with lots of people, but the total amount of zinc doesn't matter as much.
Different types of zinc lozenges release zinc in different amounts when they dissolve in your mouth, and this affects how well they work in studies.
When zinc lozenges have extra flavor ingredients like citric acid or glycine, they don't work as well for shortening colds because these ingredients stick to the zinc. Lozenges with multiple flavor additives showed no reduction in cold length, while those with just one reduced colds by over 3 days.
Zinc lozenges with certain chemical properties worked well in most tests, while others didn't work as often. This shows that how stable the zinc is might predict if it will work for you.
Most zinc lozenges sold in the US probably won't help shorten or reduce cold symptoms because they don't have enough of the right kind of zinc that your body can use.
Different zinc lozenges let your body absorb zinc differently. Some, like zinc acetate, let you use all the zinc, while others don't let you use any at all.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.