Zinc shown to prevent symptoms and shorten duration of common cold and flu-like illnesses

 

I have personally found zinc helpful in fighting infections.  Taking it on an empty stomach can cause nausea, but in this case, eating something makes the nausea go away.

 

 News Release 1-Nov-2021
Peer-Reviewed Publication
NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University

 

A new rapid systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials shows zinc can prevent symptoms and shorten the duration of a community-acquired acute viral respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold and flu-like illnesses. When participants were purposely infected with human rhinovirus strains, the risk reduction was insignificant. Rhinovirus is one of the most common causes of upper respiratory tract infections. Other common respiratory viruses include coronavirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and influenza virus.

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The international team of researchers from Western Sydney University, the University of Sydney, Southern Cross University, McMaster University and the National University of Natural Medicine found that:

    When zinc was used for prevention, there was a 28% lower risk of contracting symptoms consistent with the common cold and a 68% lower risk of contracting a flu-like illness. However, the protective effects of zinc were insignificant (4% lower risk) when participants were purposely infected with human rhinovirus.
    When used for treatment, zinc was found to shorten the duration of symptoms by around 2 days and reduce day 3 symptomatic severity around the peak of illness, but the reduction in overall symptom severity were insignificant.
    While there was an increased risk of non-serious adverse events that may limit tolerability for some (such as nausea or mouth and nasal irritation), the risk of serious adverse events (such as copper deficiency from oral zinc and loss of smell from zinc nasal sprays and gels) was low.

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