Since colds are caused by viruses, antibiotics, which are successful in treating bacterial infections only, are useless in treating them. Viruses must make their way through the body before the person affected can start to feel better.  While there are no cures for the common cold, treatment should aim at easing the symptoms and shortening their duration. Zinc has been clinically proven to reduce the duration and severity of common cold symptoms.

Independent, double-blind, clinical studies of zinc gluconate glycine lozenges, conducted by leading infectious disease specialists at both the Cleveland Clinic and Dartmouth College, were published in the well-respected Annals of Internal Medicine and Journal of International Medicine Research (1992;20:234-46), respectively.  Both these peer-reviewed, published studies support the effectiveness of zinc gluconate glycine lozenges in reducing the symptoms of the common cold by half (around 42%, which translates to 3-4 days).

How does zinc help colds?
It’s believed that zinc coats a cell’s outer membrane, which prevents bacteria and viruses from attaching to it. If it prevents bacteria and viruses from contacting cells, these cells are not invaded and these leads to decreased cold symptoms.

How do zinc lozenges work? There are two types of zinc lozenges: zinc gluconate and zinc acetate. Each type has the active ingredient of zinc. There are three possibilities as to how zinc lozenges work. The first is that zinc may prevent the development of protein that a cold virus needs to reproduce itself. The cold symptoms will disappear once the reproduction of the virus ceases. The second possibility is that the zinc may attach to the proteins that are at the edge of the cold virus. By attaching to the virus, it can hinder the virus from entering the body’s cells. The third possibility is that zinc salts may protect and stabilize the cell linings.