David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

Zinc: Effective Treatment For The Common Cold

25 May 2014 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:54

In this YouTube video, Dr. David Perlmutter explains why antibiotics are ineffective for the common cold and recommends zinc as an alternative. He cites a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study from April 9, 2014, which examined two aspects: (1) adults who took zinc within 24 hours of cold onset experienced illnesses that lasted about 11% shorter than those who did not take zinc; and (2) children who received a regular zinc supplement over six months had roughly one‑third fewer colds. Perlmutter describes zinc’s proposed mechanism—blocking viral binding to the nasal lining— and shares his typical dosage recommendation of about 100 mg of zinc at the first sign of a cold. The video’s purpose is to inform viewers that zinc, readily available at pharmacies or health‑food stores, can both shorten cold duration and potentially prevent colds, offering a practical, evidence‑based alternative to unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.

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Hardly a day goes by that somebody doesn't call my office and say, hey, Doc, can you call me in an antibiotic because I think I'm getting a cold? And I explain, look, colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics take care of bacteria. I tell them, take zinc. Why do I do that? Here's why. Let's take a look at this study. This is the Journal of the American Medical Association, April 9th, 2014, looked at why Zinc is effective in treating the common cold. Why zinc? Because zinc keeps the virus from binding to the inside walls that— of the nose, so there's less ability of that virus to get into your system. So it's actually a 2-part report. First, giving adults zinc at the immediate sign of a cold within 24 hours, and the second part of the study, very interesting, looked at giving children a dosage of zinc Over a 6-month period and determine how frequently they had— they got colds. And what they found was really interesting, that those individuals, those adults who did not take zinc, their cold lasted 11% longer. And in the children who were given zinc to keep the cold from happening, they got colds 1/3 less often. So this is powerful information. Taking an antibiotic for a cold doesn't make sense, but we now know— that simply taking zinc available at the pharmacy or from the health food store is a powerful way to reduce the length of time that you're sick and may very well prevent you from getting a cold in the first place. Adults, under my recommendation, usually take about 100 milligrams at the first sign of getting a cold. I'm Dr. David Perlmutter.