This $2 Remedy Beats Every Cold Medicine

Brad Stanfield

Apr 11, 2026

Episode description

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Timestamps:
00:00:00 The Problem with Common Cold Remedies
01:26 Zinc's Effect on Viruses
02:42 The Importance of Zinc Formulation
03:58 The Use of Saline Solution for Colds
05:54 The Effectiveness of Saline Solution in Clinical Trials
07:04 The Use of Honey for Colds
08:47 Practical Steps for Cold Treatment
10:44 Emerging Approaches for Cold Treatment

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Here are the links to the research papers referenced in the video:
Eby — "Zinc Lozenges For The Common Cold. Why Did It Take 30 Years?" — https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2014/12/zinc-lozenges-for-the-common-cold-why-did-it-take-30-years
Eby et al. 1984 — "Reduction in duration of common colds by zinc gluconate lozenges" — doi: 10.1128/aac.25.1.20
Eby 2010 — "Zinc lozenges as cure for the common cold – A review and hypothesis" — doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.10.017
Hemilä 2017 — "Zinc lozenges and the common cold: zinc acetate vs zinc gluconate" — doi: 10.1177/2054270417694291
Hemilä 2016 — "Zinc acetate lozenges: individual patient data meta-analysis" — doi: 10.1111/bcp.13057
Ramalingam et al. 2019 — "ELVIS trial: hypertonic saline for the common cold" — doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-37703-3
Rabone & Saraswati 1999 — "Nasal lavage in volunteer woodworkers" — doi: 10.1093/occmed/49.6.365
Speir 1961 — "Effect of Inorganic Salts on Infectivity of Mengo Virus" — doi: 10.3181/00379727-106-263
ERS News 2024 — "Saline nasal drops reduce cold duration in young children by two days" — https://www.ersnet.org/news-and-features/news/saline-nasal-drops-reduce-the-duration-of-the-common-cold-in-young-children-by-two-days/
Ramalingam et al. 2018 — "Antiviral innate immune response augmented by chloride ions" — doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-31936-y
Wounds UK — "Honey: antimicrobial and antibacterial nectar of the gods" — https://wounds-uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ccb2d7179b300e517aee7c0782ec5745.pdf
Eteraf-Oskouei & Najafi 2013 — "Traditional and Modern Uses of Natural Honey" — PMID: 23997898
Abuelgasim et al. 2021 — "Effectiveness of honey for URTIs: systematic review and meta-analysis" — doi: 10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336
Oxford PHC News — "Honey better than usual care for respiratory symptoms" — https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/news/honey-better-than-usual-care-for-easing-respiratory-symptoms-especially-cough
Hemilä et al. 2017 — "Zinc acetate lozenges within 24 hours of onset" — doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofx059
Hemilä 2011 — "Zinc Lozenges May Shorten the Duration of Colds" — doi: 10.2174/1874306401105010051
Cold-Eeze product page — https://coldeeze.com/collections/cold-eeze/products/natural-cherry-lozenges?variant=45547660869912
PA Center for the Book — "ColdEEZE: Curing the Cold" — https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/feature-articles/coldeeze-curing-cold
HDRUK News — "Clinical trial testing ancient cold remedy for COVID-19" — https://www.hdruk.ac.uk/news/clinical-trial-testing-ancient-cold-remedy-for-covid-19-now-open-across-the-uk/
ELVIS Study — Nasal irrigation instructions — http://www.elvisstudy.com/nasal-irrigation-and-gargling.html
Mohandas et al. 2025 — "Broad-Spectrum Virucidal Activity of NO Nasal Spray (NONS)" — doi: 10.3390/v18010091
Tandon et al. 2021 — "Clinical efficacy of NO nasal spray for mild COVID-19" — doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2021.05.009
ECRAID News — "ECRAID-Prime and SaNOtize trial on antiviral nasal spray" — https://www.ecraid.eu/news/ecraid-prime-and-sanotize-begin-trial-antiviral-nasal-spray
Wardlaw et al. 2025 — "Nasodine for the common cold: Phase III clinical trial" — doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1565069

Thumbnail by James Kelly
Video edited by Troy Young
Script by John Milliken

The links above are affiliate links, so I receive a small commission every time you use them to purchase a product. The content contained in this video, and its accompanying description, is not intended to replace viewers’ relationships with their own medical practitioner. Always speak with your doctor regarding the content of this channel, and especially before using any products, services, or devices discussed on this channel.

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Rethink cold remedies: high-dose vitamin C, echinacea, and garlic lack effectiveness

Despite their popularity, human clinical trials show that high-dose vitamin C, echinacea, and garlic are not effective at treating the common cold.

#clinical-trial

#supplement

Utilize nitric oxide nasal spray to combat common cold virus

A nitric oxide nasal spray from a company called Sanitize has been shown in lab studies to reduce the common cold virus by over 99% within two minutes.

#nitric-oxide

Utilize zinc lozenges to shorten cold duration

To shorten a cold, use zinc acetate or gluconate lozenges with a total daily dose over 75mg, ensuring they dissolve slowly and contain no citric acid, sorbitol, or mannitol.

#supplement

#zinc

Avoid zinc lozenges with citric acid to enhance effectiveness

Many zinc lozenges are ineffective because they contain ingredients like citric acid that bind to and neutralize the zinc ions, preventing them from fighting the virus.

#supplement

#zinc

Utilize saline nasal rinses to combat viruses

Saline nasal rinses work by supplying your nasal cells with chloride ions, the raw material needed to produce hypochlorous acid, a natural bleach-like substance that kills viruses.

#antiviral

Choose honey over usual care for better cold symptom relief

An Oxford meta-analysis of 14 trials concluded that honey is superior to usual care for improving cold symptoms, including cough frequency and severity.