Both are big sellers. Zicam, sold as a homeopathic product, contains zinc gluconate in gel form. A homeopathic remedy should, in theory, have only an undetectable trace of zinc, but Zicam really does contain some.
There's a theoretical basis for why zinc might reduce cold symptoms and duration, but the research has been inconclusive. You can get Zicam in a nasal pump or swab. The idea is to begin using it at the first cold symptom, and continue every four hours until symptoms subside. It claims to reduce the duration of a cold. Indeed, a study from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation of healthy young people found that the product reduced cold duration from six days to four.
Other studies have had less decisive results. One, in the American Journal of Medicine in , found no benefit. Here's the problem: The FDA is examining reports that the product causes anosmia -- loss of smell.
There are lawsuits pending. There is some evidence that applying zinc in the nose can, in rare cases, damage the sense of smell, possibly permanently. Is it worth the risk, just to reduce the duration of a cold by a couple of days? We say no. Airborne, concocted and marketed by a teacher and touted on the Oprah show, is a tablet you dissolve in water like Alka-Seltzer. The adult formulation contains high doses of vitamin A 5, IU and vitamin C 1, milligrams , as well as vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, selenium and a bouquet of Chinese herbs, including Chinese vitex, isatis root, and others, plus the more familiar-sounding echinacea, ginger, forsythia and honeysuckle.
One of my daughters caught a cold last week, and now she's given it to me. Some of these medications actually do treat symptoms, but none of them cure a cold. How can a drug manufacturer get away with this? Note to older adults: bring your reading glasses to the pharmacy section! The secret cure for the common cold: chicken noodle soup.
Source: Wikipedia. Zicam contains zinc as its active ingredient. There has been some evidence to suggest that taking zinc right at the onset of a cold might shorten its duration a little bit, from 7 days to 6. But as Dr. Terence Davidson from UC San Diego explained , if you look at the more rigorous studies, the effect vanishes.
Zinc turns out to have some worrisome side effects, too. Zicam's nasal spray and gel versions were linked to a serious loss of the sense of smell anosmia , which led the FDA to issue a warning letter in Unlike real drugs, though, Zicam has not been evaluated by the FDA for effectiveness or safety.
How do they get away with it? Airborne's products also now include a disclaimer:. There are several leading theories. Most colds are caused by a type of virus called rhinovirus, a family of more than viruses which can multiply in the upper respiratory system the nasal passages and throat. Cold symptoms typically last about days. Zinc may also prevent cold viruses from attaching to cells in the lining of the nose and throat. Evidence suggests that cold-shortening results may vary depending on the specific zinc formulation used and how it is administered.
Zinc lozenges and other delivery methods that allow zinc to stay in the throat where the cold virus lives may be the most effective for easing cold symptoms. The effectiveness of zinc in shortening the duration of a cold also relies on regular and frequent dosing during the cold.
Clinical studies on zinc lozenges have shown that taking zinc lozenges reduces the duration of cold symptoms. A recent review of more than 40 years of research on the use of zinc for colds concluded that zinc shortens the duration of the common cold. A Cochrane review evaluated the results from 15 studies involving more than 1, participants. The authors concluded that taking zinc within 24 hours of the first signs of a cold reduced cold duration and that the symptoms were less severe in people who took zinc.
The first signs of a cold may appear as little as 10 hours after infection with a cold virus, with full-blown symptoms appearing days after infection. Common symptoms that signal a cold are scratchy throat, cough, runny nose, body aches, and unexplained tiredness. To shorten a cold, it is important to take action as soon as you notice the first signs of a cold. Even after extensive research, the exact mechanism of action by which zinc works to shorten the common cold is uncertain, but there are several theories.
Most colds are caused by a type of virus called rhinovirus, a family of more than viruses. Rhinoviruses can multiply in the upper respiratory system the nasal passages and throat. On the basis of studies that evaluated the efficacy of zinc, zinc is thought to interfere with the ability of rhinovirus to replicate. Zinc may also interfere with cold viruses attaching to cells in the lining of the nose and throat.
Research indicates that cold-shortening results may vary depending on the specific zinc formulation used and how it is administered. Zinc lozenges and other delivery methods allow zinc to work with the body and may be the most effective for easing cold symptoms. Regular and frequent dosing during the cold is required for zinc treatments to shorten the duration of the cold. Forty years of research investigating the use of zinc for colds indicates that zinc can shorten the duration of the common cold.
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