<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Zinc supplements can help to reduce the severity and duration of colds, experts say. Cochrane researchers conducted a review of existing evidence on the use of zinc to treat the common cold. They looked at 15 clinical trials, involving 1,360 people, to update an earlier review conducted in 1999. The researchers concluded that people who take zinc syrup, lozenges or tablets within a day of the onset of cold symptoms tend to have less severe illness, and be ill for a shorter period of time. Patients who used zinc were more likely to be symptom-free within seven days than those who did not. Among children, those who took zinc syrup or lozenges for at least five months were less likely to catch colds and took less time off school Their findings, which are published in the Cochrane Library, could have important implications, as approximately 40 per cent of time taken off work is due to the common cold. Lead researcher Meenu Singh, from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, said that the review &amp;#039;strengthens the evidence for zinc as a treatment for the common cold&amp;#039;. However, she noted: &amp;#039;At the moment, it is still difficult to make a general recommendation, because we do not know very much about the optimum dose, formulation or length of treatment.&amp;#039; The researcher also observed that the review had only looked at the effects of zinc supplements in healthy people. She added: &amp;#039;It would be interesting to find out whether zinc supplementation could help asthmatics, whose asthma symptoms tend to get worse when they catch a cold.&amp;#039; NHS figures suggest that the average adult catches two to four colds each year, while children typically experience between three and eight colds a year. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a20634/zinc-effective-against-common-cold/>