Taking zinc acetate lozenges can shorten the length of a cold by nearly three days, according to a study in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Researchers analyzed 199 patients with a cold who participated in three placebo-controlled trials. They found the zinc tablets worked for patients regardless of allergy status, smoking, symptom severity, age, sex or ethnicity.
"Common cold patients should be encouraged to try zinc acetate lozenges not exceeding 100 mg of elemental zinc per day for treating their colds," said Harri Hemila, the study's lead author.