GNLD's Zinc Beats the Common Cold:
The common cold is one of the most frequently occurring human illnesses in the world. More than 200 viruses can cause common colds in adults, including rhinoviruses (the most frequent cause), parainfluenza viruses, and others. In the United States each year, adults develop an average of two to four colds a year, and children develop an average of six to eight colds per year.
A number of controlled studies have shown that supplemental zinc had a beneficial effect in providing relief of cold symptoms. A 1996 study tested the efficacy of zinc gluconate lozenges in reducing the duration of symptoms caused by the common cold in 100 people who developed colds within 24 hours before enrolling in the study. Based on daily symptom scores for cough, headache, hoarseness, muscle ache, nasal drainage, nasal congestion, scratchy throat, sore throat, sneezing, and fever, the study showed that the time to complete resolution of symptoms was significantly shorter in patients taking zinc than in a placebo group. In fact, zinc reduced the duration of cold symptoms by an average of three days.
