Why is cold eeze homeopathic

The common cold is the primary cause of doctor visits in the United States, leading to million lost school days each year. Rhinoviruses are responsible for over half of all common colds. The idea that zinc could be used to treat the common cold originated from a paper in Nature which showed that zinc blocks the replication of rhinoviruses in cell culture. However, this concentration of zinc is too high for therapeutic use, and subsequent studies showed that levels compatible with use of the metal ion in humans minimally inhibited rhinovirus replication in cell culture.

Zinc does not readily pass through the cell membrane, explaining why high concentrations are required to produce an antiviral effect. Many trials have been conducted to determine if zinc — taken as a lozenge, nasal spray, or ointment — has any effect on the common cold in humans. In one study, children were given 15 mg zinc daily by mouth for seven months.

The mean number of colds in the treated children was 1. Many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of zinc containing lozenges. In one, 65 people took one lozenge containing 23 mg zinc every two hours while awake.

In another similar study, the duration of cold symptoms was reduced in the zinc group versus the placebo group — 4. However, as many studies have lead to the conclusion that zinc lozenges — as well as zinc administered intransally or in a gel — have no effect on severity or duration of the common cold.

A good summary of many of these trials can be found in the Alternative Medicine Review cited below. Given the prevalence of rhinoviruses it is appropriate to assume that these viruses are involved in over half of the colds observed. Nevertheless, the extreme variability in the trial results may in part reflect the fact that various etiologic agents are involved, some of which might not be susceptible to inhibition by zinc.

Other possible explanations for the inconsistent results include differences in the zinc preparations used zinc gluconate and zinc acetate , the quantity of zinc administered, and the composition of the lozenge. Although inhibition of rhinovirus replication by zinc was reported in , the mechanism is not understood.

It is believed that zinc enters the cell and binds to the rhinovirus protein that will form the capsid. This interaction blocks cleavage of the protein, thereby inhibiting production of infectious virus. Consistent with this proposed mechanism is the observation that zinc ionophores — compounds that allow the uptake of zinc into cells — have recently been shown to inhibit rhinovirus replication.

Of 75 persons enrolled, 66 completed the study. Safety assessments demonstrated no clinically significant differences between treatment groups. Four participants taking zinc tablets and 3 participants taking placebo tablets reported mild adverse events.

Of those participants taking zinc tablets, 6 adverse events were possibly related to the study product and 2 adverse events were probably related to the study product. Of those participants taking placebo tablets, 3 adverse events were reported that were possibly related to the study product.

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