The Study
In vitro activity of zinc salts against human rhinoviruses
This is like doing a simple science experiment in a test tube instead of with real people. It shows what might happen to cold viruses when you add zinc in a lab, but it doesn't tell us if zinc lozenges would actually help real humans with colds.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists put zinc salts in dishes with cold virus cells to see if it stops the virus.
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 53 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Not specified in abstract
- 2Not specified in abstract
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
Year
1987
Authors
Felicia C. Geist, Judith A. Bateman, And, Frederick G. Hayden
Related Content
Claims (3)
Different zinc lozenges have different amounts of the active form of zinc, and only the active form fights viruses.
Zinc salts tested in lab cells for cold viruses show they might not work well as a medicine because they could be more harmful than helpful.
Zinc lozenges might help with cold symptoms, but lab tests show zinc doesn't really fight cold viruses directly, so there's probably another reason they work.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.