Zinc is vital for a healthy immune system, and zinc lozenges can also be effective in reducing the severity and duration of a cold. Watch as consumer healthcare expert Tod Cooperman, MD, discusses the benefits/warnings of taking zinc supplements.
Zinc is important in two ways first of all it's important to immune system so you don't want to be deficient in zinc, and that can happen particularly in the elderly. Second, even if you are not sufficient in zinc, by taking a zinc lozenge letting it dissolve slowly in your mouth, not chewing them or swallowing them or popping them like candy, but actually letting it dissolve on your mouth it can work in the back of your throat and kill viruses and there's actually been clinical studies showing that that will reduce the ration and severity of a cold.
Typically you want about 13 to 23 milligrams of zinc in that lozenge and again you only want to take it about every two to four hours, so don't hand the bag over to your kids and let them eat it like a snack. It's a serious medication really, and you have to use it wisely. Too much zinc can cause problems, could even decrease your immunity and it interferes with the absorption of copper, so you want to use it as directed.
Tod Cooperman, MD, is a researcher, writer and commentator on consumer healthcare issues. He is the president and founder of ConsumerLab.com and PharmacyChecker.com.
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