Cold season is upon us. As I've reported to you before, one of the most effective ways to fight a cold is to take a cold lozenge containing zinc. In fact, it was way back in 1984 when a study authored by George Eby showed that the duration of the common cold was reduced a full seven days in patients taking zinc lozenges. A seven-day reduction in the duration of a cold is essentially a cure for colds. But there's a catch.
Not just any zinc lozenge will do. In fact, hardly any of the different brands of zinc lozenges being sold today are better than a simple placebo. So what's in your lozenge?
One study published a few years ago entitled “Zinc Lozenges May Shorten the Duration of Colds: A Systematic Review,” showed that not all zinc lozenges are the same. In fact, some are not effective at all. So if you have tried a zinc lozenge in the past and it didn't work, then try again. Only this time use zinc acetate.
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Many of the lozenges out there contain zinc citrate, zinc glycinate, zinc tartrate, and other forms of zinc. The reason these don't work is that these forms of zinc do not release zinc in its ionic form. In order for zinc to knock out a cold virus, it has to be in its ionic form. And that's why zinc acetate is the most effective. It releases 100% of the zinc it contains in its ionic form. And now a new study is once again confirming how effective zinc acetate can be at stopping colds.
Researchers evaluated all of the data from three randomized placebo-controlled trials in which the researchers gave zinc acetate lozenges to patients who were coming down with a cold. The total number was 199 men and women. The sum of the studies showed that on average the patients who were taking the zinc acetate lozenges had their cold symptoms for 2.94 days. Compare that to the patients who did not use the lozenges and had symptoms for twice as long.
When I first heard about zinc acetate lozenges, I was very disappointed to find out that you couldn't buy them. So a few years ago, I worked with Advanced Bionutritionals to develop one that was in the right dose, dissolved slowly, and didn't taste bad. Happily enough, they were able to do it. And ever since then, it's been one of the best remedies I can prescribe for my patients with colds. But there's one more thing.
In order to get the best results, you have to start using the lozenges at the very first sign that you're coming down with a cold. So make sure you have enough on hand for the whole family. And never go on a vacation without them. You can order these lozenges by following this link.
Yours for better health,
Frank Shallenberger, MD
Source:
Hemilä H, Petrus EJ, et al. Zinc acetate lozenges for treating the common cold: an individual patient data meta-analysis. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2016 Jul 5.