Zinc lozenges
Zinc lozenges are very popular with a lot of people who have learned how much they can help reduce, prevent and even cure the common cold. The lozenges are very effective if used as soon as you feel you are coming down with a cold or sore throat. People who have speaking engagements and who come down with a sore throat can also use these lozenges to help sooth their throat so they can continue on with their speech.
That fact that zinc has such a beneficial effect on the common cold was accidentally stumbled upon by an average every day man who had a sick daughter. This man, whose name is George Eby first discovered how effective zinc is in 1979. His was an accidental discovery when his young daughter, who was afflicted with cancer at the time and also had a suppressed immune system due to her chemotherapy treatments. The story goes that she came down with a bad cold soon after she was diagnosed with cancer and had been treated with chemotherapy. She was being given vitamins and supplements to help build her immune system. This continued on when she came down with a cold to try to keep her immune system built up. Soon after she took a large zinc tablet she was unable to swallow it, but she fell asleep with the tablet dissolving in her mouth. She woke up a few hours later feeling much better and claiming she was cured of her cold by the zinc.
After years of research and studies on zinc, Mr. Eby was able to secure a patent for zinc lozenges in 1995. He claimed it “was the only cure for the common cold with a patent”. George Eby has several zinc gluconate and zinc acetate formulations on the market today. Zinc lozenges are mass produced and remain a popular choice for treatment when someone is sick with a cold or sore throat.
Zinc lozenges can be bought formulated as zinc gluconate or zinc acetate. Zinc acetate lozenges are considered to be the better choice of the two kinds of zinc lozenges. Zinc acetate tastes better and does not have an unpleasant after taste like the zinc gluconate lozenges do. You also get three times the zinc in the zinc acetate lozenges than you do in zinc gluconate lozenges. They also release the zinc into your system faster. One of the major drawbacks, besides the bad taste of zinc gluconate, is that its prolonged use can dull your taste buds. This does not happen with the zinc acetate lozenges. There are many other zinc lozenges on the market today sold by various manufactures and brand names. Some may contain additives that are harmful so be sure you read the labels when choosing the brand you want to try. Some additives can even make your cold worse. “Fast Dry Zinc” is the trademarked name for zinc acetate lozenges patented by Eby.
Zinc lozenges work best by sucking on them and allowing them to dissolve in the mouth. This releases positively charged zinc ions which then bind to capillary walls, mucous membranes, zinc-binding proteins and rhinoviruses. Positive zinc ions which are provided by sucking on the zinc lozenges and then binding to the rhinoviruses, prevents the virus from attaching to the respiratory tract. Look for zinc lozenges that have a ZIA of at least 70 on the label.
Taking too much zinc can have negative side effects. People who take 100 mg or more for months can develop depressed copper absorption, anemia and gastrointestinal irritation due to toxic build up of zinc. However, using zinc lozenges with up to 150 mg a day for a period of a week to treat a cold is safe and does not cause a toxic effect.
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