Do Zinc Lozenges Reduce Cold Symptoms?
Can’t get your kids to eat their broccoli but you think there is a chance they will try a zinc lozenge? Well, it may not matter one way or the other. While these lozenges have never been known for their great taste, they have been shown in several studies in publications like the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Annals of Internal Medicine to reduce the duration of cold symptoms in adults.
A new report says that while they may work for adults there is no reason to believe that they work in children. One of the researchers who published the study about zinc lozenges in adults said that they appear to be ineffective in children and teen-agers.
The most recent study looked at school children in Cleveland, Ohio in first through twelfth grades. All children in the study were seen within 12 hours of developing cold symptoms. Half the group was put on 10 milligram lozenges five to six times a day. The other half took a placebo. In both groups there were no differences in the severity of the coughing and sneezing and no change in the length of the colds.
This is a small study and certainly flies in the face of the studies that support the efficacy of these lozenges in adults with colds. Nonetheless, this study is worth noting. Does this mean that the lozenges are harmful to your child? Probably not. But if your child decides to use them, they might not help. That is, if your child can get past the taste.
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