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. 2004 Feb;24(1):23–39. doi: 10.1023/B:BIRE.0000037754.71063.41

Zinc Lozenges: Cold Cure or Candy? Solution Chemistry Determinations

George A Eby 1
PMCID: PMC7087920  PMID: 15499830

Abstract

Common colds were shortened by 7 days in a 1984 clinical trial using zinc gluconate throat lozenges each 2 h. Between then and 2004, 10 other double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials showed widely varying results. This re-analysis of these trials presents solution chemistry methods to elucidate differences in efficacy. Statistically significant correlation was shown between total daily dosages of positively charged zinc species and reductions in median (p = 0.005) and mean duration (p < 0.02) of common colds in these trials.

Keywords: Zinc, zinc gluconate, zinc acetate, zinc lozenges, common cold, rhinovirus

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