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# Zinc lozenges shorten common cold duration
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/zinc_lozenges_0726110854/
- Published: 2011-07-26T21:45:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:44:03.000Z
- Description: Pooling trials in The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal, Hemila found daily doses above 75 mg of zinc in lozenges shortened colds by 20 to 42%, while trials using less than 75 mg showed no benefit. High doses taste bad but no long-term side effects have been reported.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Minerals, Nutrition, Colds, Zinc, Zinc Lozenges, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, Ph.D.

Tuesday July 26, 2011 (foodconsumer.org) -- Using zinc lozenges may reduce the duration of a common cold episode, according to a new study recently published in The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal.

The study shows taking a dose of greater than 75 mg of zinc in the form of zinc lozenges per day cut the duration of the common cold by 20 to 42 percent.

Zinc lozenges were found capable of fighting cold for the first time in a young girl with leukemia, the University of Helsinki says in a press release. The common cold disappeared quickly after the girl dissolved a therapeutic zinc tablet in her mouth.

Ever since, more than a dozen of studies have been conducted to determine the efficacy of zinc lozenges in treating colds, but the results are inconsistent.

The author found five trials that tested less than 75 mg of zinc per day failed to see that zinc supplements could help colds. But a dose of greater than 75 mg of zinc in the form of zinc acetate per day as used in three trials showed a 42 percent reduction in the duration of colds. 

Zinc salt other than acetates when used in a dose of greater than 75 mg of zinc per day in a number of studies also showed a 20 percent reduction in the duration of colds.

The author said a high dose of zinc lozenges tastes bad, but has never been reported to cause any chronic or long term side effects. He cited a recent study on zinc lozenges in a daily dose of 92 mg as showing no toxic effect.

Dr. Hemila concluded that zinc lozenges may be used to treat colds.

Photo credit: CDC