Does zinc supplement help in respiratory infection?

Do you take any supplements like vitamin C, vitamin E, ginger when you have cold? I take vitamin C supplements (added zinc recently) when I have symptoms of cold/flu. One of my physician friends told me he takes zinc supplements for same cold.

Zinc and pneumonia, respiratory infections

Check out this report in American J Clinical Nutrition (2007) showing beneficial effects of zinc in pneumonia patients. Meydani and colleagues conducted this study at the Tufts University. It was funded by among others, the National Institute of Aging and the USDA.

This observational study was conducted at 33 Boston nursing homes. Elderly Subjects received essential vitamins and minerals, including zinc everyday.

The investigators then compared patients with normal versus low zinc levels. They found that patients with normal zinc levels had a much lower all-cause mortality rate.

In addition, subjects with normal zinc levels had lower occurrence rate of pneumonia and the total number of new antibiotic prescriptions. Duration of pneumonia and days of antibiotic use was also lesser among normal zinc level subjects.

While this study is an observational one and no cause and effect relationship can be established, it does provide strong scientific support to my friend who takes zinc during his cold/flu occurrences.

Do you believe in nutritional supplements? What remedy do you use when you or someone in your family develops cold/flu? Do you take vitamic C or zinc for this purpose? Please share your thoughts.