Got a Cold? Forget Vitamin C – Take Zinc!

We've all likely heard this recommendation at some point: Got a cold? Take vitamin C, it'll speed up your recovery from that virus that got you. However, it's long been proven that this recommendation holds no ground: Vitamin C may not be especially harmful (unless you're one of those for whom it causes diarrhea), but there's no evidence that it speeds up recovery from cold viruses.

A new analysis of studies, however, found that taking another supplement can significantly speed up recovery time from a cold. It isn't a vitamin – rather, it's a mineral. Zinc, researchers say, causes you to recover from a cold three times faster than without zinc. The analysis examined three studies where cold sufferers took a zinc supplement in doses of 80 to 92 milligrams daily, significantly higher than the regular recommendation. (Nonetheless, previous studies have shown that such amounts of zinc, and even higher, do not cause any harm when taken for a short duration).

All the studies scanned in the analysis found a similar result: Of the patients who started taking zinc when they caught a cold, 70% recovered by the fifth day of their cold. By contrast, only 27% of patients taking a placebo were healthy by the fifth day.

The research highlights that the benefit found is specifically linked to zinc acetate lozenges, not to every zinc supplement available.

"Given the strong evidence of treatment efficacy and the low risk of side effects," writes the analysis author, Dr. Harry Hemila from the University of Helsinki, "those suffering from a cold should be encouraged to try taking zinc in amounts not exceeding 100 mg per day."