LETTER
Zinc Gluconate Lozenges for Treating the Common Cold
Mark J. Shumate, MD, MPH
1 May 1997 | Volume 126 Issue 9 | Page 738
TO THE EDITOR:
I read with interest the article by Mossad and colleagues [1] and the accompanying editorial [2] about use of zinc and the common cold. These papers suggested that some of the beneficial effect of zinc might be due to correction of a subclinical zinc deficiency. After reading this, I noticed that my daily vitamin supplement contains 15 mg of zinc.
Do the researchers have data on the use of vitamin and mineral supplementation among their study participants? If a reasonable number of the participants were already receiving some form of supplementation, this proposed mechanism for the beneficial effects noted seems less likely.
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Author and Article Information
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Emory University, Decatur, GA 30033
1. Mossad SB, Macknin ML, Medendorp SV, Mason P. Zinc gluconate lozenges for treating the common cold. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Ann Intern Med. 1996; 125:81-8.
2. Prasad AS. Zinc: the biology and therapeutics of an ion [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 1996; 125:142-4.
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