Supplements with zinc do not reduce duration of common cold

Dietary supplements with zinc do not have any effectiveness in combating the common cold and do not shorten its duration, BMJ Open reported referring to a new study.

Scientists from the University of Helsinki conducted a double-blind clinical study involving 88 volunteers, during which they evaluated the effects of zinc acetate in the form of lollipops on people. The participants in the experiment were asked to slowly dissolve six candies every day. Overall, during the study, they consumed 78 mg of zinc daily for five days. Everyone was asked to start taking candy at the first symptoms of a cold.

Within five days, there was no difference in the speed of recovery after a cold in people who took zinc lollipops and those who received placebo that did not contain any active ingredients.

Moreover, zinc users showed even slower recovery than those who received placebo.