How to Prevent Colds With Zinc

Each year, millions of children and adults are affected with the common cold. The cold is easily spread, which makes it the most common ailment to suffer from. Different from the flu virus, which can cause muscle aches, fever and pain, a cold attacks mostly the upper respiratory system, causing sneezing, coughing and nasal drainage. Severe cold viruses also bring on a fever or headache. Zinc is a mineral that has been shown to reduce the number of days an individual suffers from a cold, as well as the intensity of symptoms.

Things You'll Need

• Zinc lozenges

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Instructions

• 1

  Begin zinc lozenges or a nasal supplement at the onset of cold symptoms. The mineral is found in many foods like red meat, beans and dairy, but taking an additional supplement is important to reduce the symptoms and longevity of a cold. Zinc is used as an antioxidant for the body in order to reduce infection or viruses and is also used in tissue repair.

• 2

  Take the zinc supplements every 2 to 4 hours to be effective. During the onset of cold symptoms, it is important to keep frequent dosages going to reduce the time and severity of the virus.

• 3

  Incorporate zinc into cold prevention methods as long as cold symptoms are present, but refrain from using after 5 days. While using zinc short term does not lead to common side effects, it may cause mouth irritation or upset stomach in some individuals. Long term use is greatly discouraged because it can cause copper deficiency in the body.

• 4

  Use zinc lozenges over nasal spray. While nasal sprays are available and often used, use lozenges over any type of nasal spray to prevent the risk of losing a sense of smell caused by consistent use of nasal spray.

• 5

  Take only the recommended dosage of zinc either by food or supplemental lozenges. For women ages 19 and older, the recommended dietary amount is 9 milligrams, while men older than 19 should have 11 milligrams. Children should get their zinc from a healthy diet and not use zinc supplements for the common cold, since they only need 2 to 5 milligrams daily depending on their age.