Zinc & Echinacea: What's the buzz?

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Zinc
Zinc is a basic element that is essential for proper nutrition. A true zinc deficiency is almost impossible to produce in modern societies. This does not mean that we should avoid taking zinc - only that we would not take it routinely.
People who suffer from true zinc deficiency have a depressed immune system and lack the ability to heal wounds correctly. Adding zinc to a healthy person's diet will not improve their rate of wound healing. Zinc supplementation is helpful for patients who have undergone certain traumas such as major burns or surgery.
While a true zinc deficiency is rare in the United States, recent studies have found that most of us only consume 8-10 mg per day in our diet.¹ The recommended daily intake (RDI) of zinc is 15mg. If you feel a need to supplement your diet, we recommend no more than 15mg of zinc per day.

A remedy for colds?
Recently, the popular press has started promoting zinc as a remedy for the common cold. There was a study published las year in the Annals of Internal medicine (a leading medical journal) supporting the use of zinc lozenges to reduce the severity and duration of the common cold. This study has been questioned due to its limited scope and small number of participants.

Nevertheless, Cold-Eeze^TM (brand of zinc lozenges) have become a very popular remedy for colds. In our store, they continue to be popular this year and are the brand that we recommend. We sell Cold-Eeze^TM here.
Cold-Eeze^TM is advertised as a natural homeopathic remedy that is safe and effective. While it is homeopathic and we would say generally safe, there are a few precautions you should take with this and all zinc preparations. Zinc is normally very bitter-tasting and some people are more sensitive to this than others. It also induces nausea in some people who are sensitive to this effect and, if enough is used, will induce nausea in anyone.
Cold-Eeze^TM should be used every 2 hours with a maximum of 5 pieces per day. It is available in 4 flavors: Cherry, Citrus, Menthol and Tropical Fruit.

Echinacea
Echinacea is the scientific name for the purple coneflower. There are 3 varieties that are used for medicinal purposes. The use of Echinacea for its immune system stimulating properties was very popular in the United States from the mid-1800s unto the 1930s. It was listed as a medicinal herb in the National Formulary (an official reference compendium of pharmaceuticals) from 1916 until 1950. The introduction of modern antibiotics led to a rapid decline in the use of Echinacea.
The primary action of Echinacea on the body is to stimulate the immune system to increase the number of white blood cells available to destroy invading micro-organisms. When applied to an open wound, it will inhibit the action of an enzyme that micro-organisms secrete to inhibit wound healing.
Echinacea is available in many forms. The fresher the product, the greater the efficacy. Tablets are more stable than capsules and are the preferred solid dosage form. You can obtain fresh concentrations of echinacea alkaloids by making a cup of tea from echinacea parts but this will not work better than other forms - only be more concentrated. Many people prefer the alcoholic tincture. With this form, you only need to take 10 to 15 drops at a time and it is stable for 3 years as long as it is protected from light and remains at room temperature.

If you have comments, suggestions or questions, please email us.

Footnotes
1. Kievay LM, et al. Evidence of dietary copper and zinc deficiencies. JAMA 241(18): 1916-1918, 1979.