Zinc For Colds

I've had positive personal experience with Quigley's patented zinc gluconate products, hard candy lozenges and gum. Both leave your mouth with kind of a dry, metallic feeling which is supposedly part of the cure; the gum is more palatable for me.

Their theory of operation depends on zinc ion transport in your mouth and nose. By this theory, the formulation of the zinc lozenges is important to provide maximum "zinc ion availability" -- it's not just the presence or amount of elemental zinc.

I haven't verified any of the chemistry involved, and the supporting research, while indicative, has to my mind not been duplicated enough independently to be judged a medical fact yet. Still, I've been happy with the products and use them, to good effect I think, when I think I'm getting a cold.

Quigley's summary page: http://www.quigleyco.com/clinician/studies.htm

George Eby has his own patented zinc acetate formula; his site presents the zinc ion availability ("ZIA") material even better.

Eby's start page: http://coldcure.com/

Eby's list of ineffective zinc common cold products is at http://coldcure.com/html/expectx.html

Eby's effective zinc acetate lozenges are at http://coldcure.com/html/sales.html (SALES?) OK!

Eby's ZIA graph, showing how different zinc formulations produce different results (note he predicts near zero effects from Halls Zinc Defense formulation due to near zero ZIA): http://coldcure.com/html/linearre.html

A pharmacist's mostly positive view of the Quigley formulation, plus some background: http://www.pharmacyconnects.com/content/phpost/1998/12-98/ppo129804.html

An FTC complaint against Quigley for saying their products could cure colds: http://www.ftc.gov/os/1999/9911/quigleycmp.htm