Zinc products promising cold relief have been on the market for decades. A new analysis finds research on their efficacy to be inconclusive.

Researchers say zinc won't help prevent you from coming down with a cold, but it may help shorten symptoms by a few days

Zinc might indeed reduce the duration of common cold symptoms by about two days, a new evidence review says. However, the evidence is not conclusive, and taking zinc can come with some unpleasant side effects, researchers said.

Every cold and flu season, folks are flooded with ads for zinc lozenges, sprays and syrups that promise to shorten their sniffles. Zinc might indeed reduce the duration of common cold symptoms by about two days,

Zinc may help reduce the length of a common cold by roughly two days, according to new evidence. The essential mineral can potentially stop the cold virus's ability to spread in the mouth, throat and nose.