Zicam is a homeopathic cold medicine that comes in spray and pill form. The brand claims their product is "completely different" from other cold medicines, because it actually shortens colds rather than just relieving symptoms.
But what is homeopathic medicine, and is it proven effective in research studies? Does Zicam contain active ingredients shown to reduce cold duration? Does it contain any unhealthy additives? And how do real Zicam users rate and describe its effects?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Zicam to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective for the treatment of colds.
We'll also discuss homeopathy in general, share our concerns about this modality of treatment, and feature unsponsored Zicam user reviews.
Ingredient Analysis
The active ingredients in Zicam Nasal Spray are shown above.
Galphimia glauca was described as having "anti-inflammatory" and "antimalarial" properties in a medical review published in the Molecules journal.
However, we can't find any studies directly showing it to reduce cold duration in humans.
Luffa operculata is clinically shown to have antibacterial effects in vitro (meaning in a test tube study), but again we can't find any clinical evidence it's effective in humans or against viruses which are the most typical causes of colds.
Sabadilla is the final active ingredient, and we can't find any clinical studies, even in vitro, supporting its use in a cold medicine.
The inactive ingredients in Zicam are shown below:
Benzalkonium chloride is a disinfectant that's clinically shown to be toxic, as we documented in our review of nasal allergy spray Astepro.
Overall, we consider Zicam unlikely to be effective because we're unable to find any clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of its active ingredients in humans.
We don't currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of benzalkonium chloride.
However, our biggest concern about Zicam's efficacy isn't related to its active ingredients but to their doses, as we'll detail in the next section of this article.
Does Homeopathy Work?
Homeopathy is a type of alternative medicine that’s somewhat uncommonly practiced in the US.
It involves using extremely dilute amounts of natural ingredients to cure a wide range of diseases, as we documented in our Brillia review article on another homeopathic product we reviewed on Illuminate Health.
As documented by the National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health (NCCIH), one of the core tenets of homeopathy is diluting the active ingredient until it cannot be detected, so it is not logical that such treatments would be effective.
A meta-study published in the Medical Journal of Australia analyzed data from six medical reviews on homeopathy.
The study authors concluded that homeopathy is ineffective for all health conditions: "The findings of currently available Cochrane reviews of studies of homeopathy do not show that homeopathic medicines have effects beyond placebo."
We do not consider homeopathy to be effective based on the available clinical evidence.
A TEDx Talk from a doctor named Shantanu Abhyankar has over 200,000 views and disputes some of the tenets of homeopathy:
Are Other Zicam Products Better?
We explained in the Ingredient Analysis section of this article why we don't currently recommend Zicam Nasal Spray.
However, the brand also sells nasal swabs, tablets and gummies.
Here's our take on each of these Zicam products:
Nasal Swabs
Contains the same active and inactive ingredients as Nasal Spray.
Our verdict: Don't recommend
RapidMelts
This is the oral tablet sold by Zicam. Contains zinc, which is clinically shown to reduce the duration and intensity of cold symptoms. However, we don't consider this zinc to be effectively dosed given that a homeopathic dilution is used.
Also contains artificial flavors and artificial colors.
Our verdict: Don't recommend
Daily Immune Support
This is the gummy supplement sold by Zicam.
Contains vitamin C which is clinically shown to reduce the duration of cold and flu, as we documented in our Cymbiotika reviews article. Also contains zinc at an appropriate dose for further cold-fighting effect.
Contains additives we consider to be unhealthy such as glucose syrup, citric acid and natural flavor.
Our verdict: Don't recommend
Of the three products reviewed in this section, we consider Daily Immune Support to be the best formulation by far, because it's not a homeopathic formulation and provides research-backed active ingredient doses.
Real People Try Zicam
A YouTube creator named "Thrillionaire" shared his experience trying Zicam:
A TikTok creator named "cyrenelovette" claims that Zicam combined with a tea cured her cold in 24 hours:
@cyrenelovette Get rid of that cold like magic! #zinc #zicam #echinacea #elderberry #antiinflammatory ♬ original sound - cyrenelovette
Our Clean Immune Support Picks
MBG Vitamin C Potency+ is our top value immunity pick.
Vitamin C was shown to reduce the duration of colds by over 10% in a 2013 medical review, and this supplement also contains a citrus bioflavonoid complex.
Performance Lab Immune is our top premium immunity supplement.
This supplement contains the patented postbiotic IMMUSE, which is backed by 15 clinical trials and is clinically shown to activate a specific type of immune cell that helps fight infection and support overall wellness.
Pique Daily Radiance is our top food-based immune supplement.
This gel provides 1,000 mg of vitamin C per serving, and also contains organic elderberry juice concentrate, which is clinically shown to support the immune system.
