What is the data on using zinc to help with immunity? I have been taking 50 milligrams every night for the past six months. My son, who is in day care, gets sick at least once a month and I usually end up with it. Since taking it, my colds are either non-existent or milder. Is this a true effect or am I imagining things?
—Sick of being sick
There is a moment for many parents of preschoolers when you feel like you would do almost anything to avoid another cold (or norovirus episode, or hand, foot, and mouth…). Before getting into the question of zinc, let me assure you that it gets better! Kids do get less sick as they get older, and you will too. Hang in there.
On zinc: you are not entirely imagining this, at least based on the data. Researchers have used randomized trials to evaluate zinc both for preventing and lowering the duration of colds.
For prevention, the impacts appear quite small. In a meta-analysis, there is a 10% reduction in colds, which is not quite significant. So it’s trending toward an effect, but not one that is statistically precise and, more importantly, probably not one that you’d feel much in your experience. The impacts on duration are stronger — zinc seems to reduce the duration of cold symptoms by an average of 2.25 days. These effects are similar in a second review of trials — an effect on duration, but less evidence for prevention.
If you feel like this is working, there is no reason to quit! If you asked about starting up, I’d say the data could support taking zinc supplements at or above your current level (the Cochrane review says 75 milligrams a day or more) when you have a cold, to lower the duration. But I’d be less compelled about the value of supplementing in general.
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how much zinc should you give a child preventatively during cold season vs. when they actually have a cold? For a 6 year old and 3 year old? thank you!
I’m a bit confused about whether the evidence supports taking zinc all the time to decrease duration of sickness, or if the evidence supports just taking zinc when you get sick.
Is the evidence supporting zinc for duration of colds only for people who take it daily? Or is it just as effective to take it only once you start experiencing symptoms?
Seconded. Would love to know all of this. I’m on my second illness this week thanks to daycare/preschool and am willing to try anything safe and for which the data supports even a possibility of prevention.
The meta analysis looked at zinc used to treat sickness, not as a supplement. To be eligible for inclusion, studied “compared oral zinc treatment started within three days of symptoms with placebo or no intervention. We excluded studies in which zinc was administered intranasally or that used zinc in a combined formulation with other minerals or vitamins. “
How safe is zinc during pregnancy? I’m 17 weeks and getting over such a horrible summer cold. I would have normally taken zinc (Zicam gummies) but struggled to find info about safety during pregnancy, so bare knuckled it.