The Study
A Combination of High-Dose Vitamin C plus Zinc for the Common Cold
This study is like a science experiment where some people got the vitamin C and zinc mix while others got fake pills. It suggests the mix might help cold symptoms go away faster, but we can't be completely sure because we only have a short summary of the study.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested vitamin C and zinc together on people with colds to see if it helps.
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 550 / 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.
- 1It might help a little with cold symptoms, but the studies were small.
- 2In two small studies, it reduced runny nose by 9-27% and worked better than a fake pill when combined data was looked at.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of International Medical Research
Year
2012
Authors
S. Maggini, S. Beveridge, M. Suter
Related Content
Claims (4)
Taking 1000 mg of vitamin C plus 10 mg of zinc together is safe and doesn't cause bad side effects when used to treat colds, according to two medical studies.
Taking vitamin C and zinc together works better than a fake pill at reducing runny nose symptoms when you have a cold, based on a review of 94 people across two studies.
Taking vitamin C and zinc together might help you feel better faster when you have a cold compared to taking a fake pill.
Taking vitamin C and zinc together might help shorten how long your nose runs when you have a cold, but studies haven't proven it definitely works.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.