Turn to Zinc at the First Sign of a Cold!

Zinc does not taste good, but it feels good! Zinc helps you get over a cold faster. Specifically, researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration recently published evidence to indicate that zinc has a positive effect on recovery from the common cold. It is recommended in combination with vitamin C, since vitamin C facilitates the absorption of zinc.

Zinc is essential for our health because it plays a role in a variety of metabolic functions. Zinc is important for growth, for the skin, for insulin storage and protein synthesis, for sperm production and for the immune system. As an essential trace element, zinc is essential for many processes in our body - as well as for our defense mechanisms against colds.

In plain English, this means that the defense cells in the body require zinc. Namely, it has an antiviral effect. It helps mucous membranes keep viruses out of the body. This is the reason why zinc can shorten the duration of colds.

Since zinc cannot be stored in the body, it must be taken every day. Naturally, oysters are by far the richest zinc-containing food. The foods containing the most zinc are as following, in order of highest to lowest zinc levels: beef, fish and seafood, dairy products (especially cheese), eggs and whole grain products. You should ingest 15 to 25 mg of zinc a day- but when you are ill, increasing the dosage is recommended.

Researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration found that duration of a cold was shortened by one day if the patient started taking zinc within 24 hours after the first symptoms. This is all the more remarkable as conventional medicine can treat many things - by not generally colds. One of the best ways to take zinc is coupled with a lozenge containing vitamin C.

The recommended dose of zinc for fighting colds is 75 mg per day. The only problem with this is that taking such a high dosage requires some stamina. Experiment to decide whether you prefer to take to your zinc with dinner or after dinner or before bed, etc. There is a small catch- not everyone can tolerate zinc. It often creates an uneasy feeling after ingestion. It may, however, be a small price to pay for a shorter period of sickness!