Almost one third of the world population experiences dietary shortages of important minerals such as zinc, several studies show. Adequate intake of zinc is crucial in reducing the duration and severity of illnesses caused by the common cold.
Recent statistical analysis has shown that over two billion people worldwide consume zinc-deprived diets. Several studies from institutions such as Oregon State University are emphasizing the health implications of such deficiency for infectious disease, DNA damage, cancer, and immune function.
Society is largely burdened by the common cold, which takes up around 40 percent of time taken off work and school days missed every year. Studies as early as 1994 have been focusing on the effect of zinc against the common cold, showing that zinc lozenges could reduce the duration of symptoms.
The Cochrane Library published a review involving data from 15 trials, participated by over 1,360 people. The review discovered that tablets, lozenges, or zinc syrups taken within one day of cold symptoms onset reduced severity and length of illness. Meanwhile, after seven days, patients who took zinc had cleared symptoms completely, compared to other patients. It was also found that children who had zinc syrup or lozenges for at least five months were less prone to catching colds, taking less time off from school.
According to researchers, zinc deficiency is a primary cause of ailments that comes along with age. It is also prevalent in the developing world. In the United States, around 12 percent of the population is at risk for zinc deficiency. Forty percent of the elderly also experience this, largely due to their inadequate consumption of a zinc-rich diet and less capability of zinc absorption.
Two recent studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of Nutrition have also discovered significant levels of DNA damage both with laboratory animals and in healthy men with low zinc intake.
