Taking zinc cannot prevent a cold, but it could help to shorten an existing cold.
34 studies (8,526 participants) investigated the effect of zinc compared to placebo for the prevention (15 studies) or treatment (19 studies) of colds.
- The preventive intake of zinc neither reduces the risk of a cold nor shortens its duration or severity.
- For people with an existing cold, taking zinc can possibly shorten the duration of the illness by about 2 days.
- Slight side effects may occur when taking zinc (e.g. stomach problems).
The blogshots were produced by Cochrane Complementary Medicine and translated into German by the Institute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
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