Study: Zinc may help shorten cold, flu

I take a zinc supplement year round. So far so good. I haven't had a bad flu or cold in a long time.

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Study: Zinc may help shorten cold, flu

Many people pop a zinc supplement at the first sign of a cold, and there's new evidence supporting the habit.

Australian researchers found that the supplements appear to help shorten respiratory tract infections, such as colds, flu, sinusitis and pneumonia.

Many over-the-counter cold and cough remedies offer only "marginal benefits," the researchers noted, making "zinc a viable 'natural' alternative for the self-management of non-specific [respiratory tract infections]."

The study was led by Jennifer Hunter, associate professor at the NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University in Penrith, New South Wales. Her team published the findings Tuesday in the BMJ Open