Here’s an easy way to reduce the length and severity of a springtime cold

There are lots of theories about why spring seems to bring an uptick in cases of the common cold.

People are out and about and mingling more when the weather turns nice…St. Patrick’s Day indulgences lower resistance…excessive high-fiving during March Madness…

Whatever the cause, there always seems to be a cold bug going around in March, April, and May.

But according to recently published research in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, you can cut your cold short with a little zinc.

Researchers looked at 13 placebo-controlled trials that tested zinc vs. the common cold.

Their findings:
– Zinc syrup, lozenges or tablets reduced length and severity of colds when treatment was started within 24 hours of first symptoms
– Zinc use reduced likelihood that symptoms would last more than seven days

Also, two preventive trials showed that five months or more of zinc supplementation in children reduced the number of colds, school absenteeism, and antibiotic prescriptions.

And of course, less antibiotic use is an excellent benefit because the common cold is viral, so antibiotics have NO EFFECT AT ALL!

If you do take a zinc supplement to fend off colds, don’t forget you need a daily milligram or two of copper. Excess zinc lowers copper levels and can prompt neurological problems. But check the contents of your multivitamin. Good chance you’re already getting the copper you need in the multi.

Source:
“Zinc for the common cold” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 2, onlinelibrary.wiley.com