Two years ago, the FDA warned everyone to stop using zinc-containing nasal sprays to fight colds because these sprays had been linked to more than cases of loss of smell. The Institute of Medicine set the tolerable upper limit for zinc at 40 milligrams a day for adults , less for teens and children. The glowing media reports are sure to spark the next cold rush as supplement makers crank up their zinc output.
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. Yes, indeed it works for me. Thanks a lot! Taking traditional chinese medicines are also good for the common cold. This form of medication is more holisticas most of the ingredients are natural herbs.
Precaution must be taken to ensure its prescribed by a licenced chinese medicine doctor only. Maintaining health is better than cure. I have been taking a zinc tablet with breakfast for over 30 years. I am now 64 and have only taken three sick days from work in 23 years. Zinc builds up the immune system over years, not just when you have a cold. Zinc also assits with healthy skin and aids healing. Agreed on getting zinc from food rather than pills but must say that my aunt has been using the lozenges for colds and it seems to work for her also!
Zinc absolutely works for me. I moved from NY to Singapore and was suffering lots of skin infections and colds. My housekeeper in Singapore taught me the trick of Zinc and Vitamin C. I was skeptical at first, but decided to give it a try. For the non-believers of zinc, good luck to you. As a treatment, taken after getting sick, zinc was also found to slightly reduce the time symptoms stuck around for. Usually, taking zinc reduced the worst symptoms by around two days.
That's a fairly minimal effect, especially when you consider the symptoms remained just as severe overall. What's more, if the patient is purposefully infected with a cold virus , the zinc doesn't stop them from contracting the illness. This analysis is an intriguing step forward, but the researchers also caution that some of the studies included were small, did not compare the same dosages, and could include bias in the reporting of symptoms.
This is something that always has to be kept in mind when conducting meta-analyses — the resulting data will only be as reliable as the input. Also, while the findings are interesting, they can't tell us much about how zinc actually curbs a viral infection like a cold. The amount of zinc you need daily is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women. And the Institute of Medicine has set the tolerable upper intake level the maximum you should consume per day at 40 mg for adults.
Zinc supplements and lozenges can also leave a metallic taste in your mouth, Thomas says. Nasal sprays containing zinc were popular cold remedies until the FDA warned that using them could cause you to lose your sense of smell. As a result, most if not all nasal sprays have either been reformulated without zinc or taken off the market. For example, taking zinc with certain antibiotics such as quinolone or tetracycline can lower both the amount of the medication and the amount of zinc your body absorbs.
Zinc supplements can also interfere with the effectiveness of certain rheumatoid arthritis drugs. Red meat , poultry, and certain types of seafood like crab, lobster, and oysters are the best sources of zinc. A 3-ounce burger provides about half your daily need. Drinking lots of fluids to keep your nose and throat moist—while avoiding drying alcohol and caffeine—can also help ease digestion and calm inflammation while allowing the mucus membranes of these passageways to get rid of the virus as quickly as possible.
So, if you can, take off from work, cozy up with a cup of herbal tea, and get some good shut eye. You'll probably feel better in a week or so. If your symptoms don't subside in 10 days , however, go see your primary care physician who will check to see if you have a condition like bronchitis, pneumonia, or a sinus infection that needs specific treatment from a healthcare professional. Weight Loss. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories.
0コメント