The Study
Two randomized controlled trials of zinc gluconate lozenge therapy of experimentally induced rhinovirus colds
This is like a science experiment where people were randomly given either real medicine or fake medicine. It shows that the zinc lozenges didn't help cold symptoms, but we can't be completely sure because we don't know if people knew which medicine they were getting.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested zinc lozenges on adults with colds from a 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 535 / 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.
- 1Zinc lozenges did not help cold symptoms.
- 2Zinc did not make colds shorter or less severe.
- 3It did not stop the virus from spreading.
- 4Zinc levels in blood went up.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
Year
1987
Authors
M. Barry, Farr, E. Conner, R. Betts, James Oleske, Anthony Minnefor, J. Gwaltney
Related Content
Claims (4)
Taking zinc lozenges when you have a cold might help you get better faster, cutting down how long you're sick by about one-third.
Taking zinc lozenges many times a day for about a week doesn't help adults feel better faster or less sick when they have a cold caused by a specific virus.
Taking zinc lozenges several times a day for about a week doesn't help reduce how often or how long people with colds shed the virus, meaning it doesn't stop the virus from copying itself or spreading to others.
Taking zinc lozenges for 5 days raises zinc levels in your blood, showing your body absorbs it, but it doesn't help with cold symptoms.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.