The Study
Effect of treatment with zinc gluconate or zinc acetate on experimental and natural colds.
This study is like a test where people were randomly picked to get either zinc or fake medicine. It shows zinc might help colds a little bit in some cases, but we can't be sure because we don't know if people knew which medicine they got.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested zinc lozenges on people with colds to see if they help.
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 549 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Might help a little in artificial colds but not real ones.
- 2Zinc gluconate lozenges shortened colds by 1 day in lab-made colds but not real ones.
- 3Zinc acetate did nothing.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
Year
2000
Authors
R. Turner, W. Cetnarowski
Related Content
Claims (7)
Taking zinc acetate lozenges when you have a cold can help you get better faster, cutting down how long you're sick by about 2 to 3 days.
Zinc lozenges don't help reduce how long colds last or how bad they feel, whether you catch a cold naturally or in a study where they give you a cold virus.
When adults with cold symptoms take zinc gluconate lozenges, their colds might get better faster, but this only worked in a special test setting and not with real-world colds or different zinc types.
Taking zinc supplements like gluconate or acetate doesn't help reduce how long a cold lasts or how bad the symptoms are, based on a study with 281 adults who had colds.
Taking special high-strength zinc lozenges when you have a cold can help you get better about three days faster.
Taking zinc acetate lozenges when you have a cold might help you get better faster, cutting down how long you're sick by about 2 to 3 days.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.