Zinc Zaps Colds and Flu

By James Keough

Most people know how important it is to get enough iron in their diet, but zinc? Until fairly recently, nutritionists and researchers paid little attention to it. But not Ananda S. Prasad, MD, PhD, MACN, professor of medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He’s been studying zinc since the 1960s and has detailed its importance in a host of critical immune system functions. His latest effort, a small study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows how daily zinc gluconate supplements (45 mg of zinc) protect seniors (ages 55 to 87) from colds and flu. The seniors, who at the start of the study all had significantly lower blood levels of zinc than young adults, were divided into two groups—one taking supplemental zinc and one a placebo. The zinc group had significantly fewer infections over the yearlong study, higher levels of zinc in their blood, and lower levels of tumor necrosis factor a (a marker for inflammation) and the chemicals associated with oxidative stress.
A note of caution: Zinc interferes with the absorption of copper, another critical mineral, so if you take zinc supplements long term, also make sure you get 2 to 3 mg of copper a day.

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