Report underscores value of zinc in treating the common cold.

The article reports that the benefits of using zinc products to fight the common cold are underscored by findings reported in the November 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. The report, which reviews more than two decades of laboratory and clinical research into the medicinal value of zinc, concludes that zinc gluconate, the active ingredient found in popular over-the-counter cold products, effectively reduces the duration of the cold and the severity of cold symptoms.