Continuation of original AfC discussion Thank you for putting inline citation into the lead Primary sources are discouraged by the guideline delineated on WP MEDRS The rational behind this is discussed in detail on that page This policy is the result of a period of evolution after several years of community discussion If you disagree with that policy the correct place to raise your concerns would be on the talk page for the guideline While that guideline stands however please let me assure you that the primary sources need to be removed and if possible replaced with reliable secondary and tertiary sources If no replacement sources are available then the content is not notable yet for wikipedia This does not mean that the content is irrelevant on a wider stage e g in scientific circles but Wikipedia has guidelines for what is notable enough for inclusion in the encyclopedia entries I include a brief sweep to move the discussion forwards below Main issues appear to be 1 primary sources 2 WP MEDDATE 3 otherwise unreliable sources 4 possible conflict of interest Many thanks talk Hirt M Nobel S Barron E 2000 Zinc nasal gel for the treatment of common cold symptoms a double blind placebo controlled trial Ear Nose Throat J 79 778 82 primary source Mossad SB 2003 Effect of zincum gluconicum nasal gel on the duration and symptom severity of the common cold in otherwise healthy adults QJM 96 35 43 primary source Pories WJ et al 1967 Acceleration of healing with zinc sulfate Ann Surg 165 432 6 primary source WP MEDDATE issue Simkin PA 1976 Oral zinc sulphate in rheumatoid arthritis Lancet 2 539 42 primary source MEDDATE issue Samman S Roberts DC 1987 The effect of zinc supplements on plasma zinc and copper levels and the reported symptoms in healthy volunteers Med J Aust 146 246 9 primary source MEDDATE issue Forman WB et al 1990 Zinc abusean unsuspected cause of sideroblastic anemia West J Med 152 190 2 Case report MEDDATE issue Fiske DN et al 1994 Zinc induced sideroblastic anemia report of a case review of the literature and description of the hematologic syndrome Am J Hematol 46 147 50 Case report MEDDATE issue Eby GA Davis DR Halcomb WW 1984 Reduction in duration of common cold by zinc gluconate lozenges in a double blind study Antimicrob Agents Chemother 25 20 4 primary source MEDDATE issue Godfrey JC 1988 Zinc for the common cold Antimicrob Agents Chemother 32 605 6 although not a primary source this is a bit old and also it is a letter to the editor it is better to use review papers Eby GA 1988 Stability constants of zinc complexes affect common cold treatment results Antimicrob Agents Chemother 32 606 7 as above Eby GA 2001 Elimination of efficacy by additives in zinc acetate lozenges for common colds Clin Infect Dis 32 1520 this appears to be a comment on a previous primary source Prasad AS et al 2008 Duration and severity of symptoms and levels of plasma interleukin 1 receptor antagonist soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor and adhesion molecules in patients with common cold treated with zinc acetate J Infect Dis 197 795 802 primary source Farr BM Gwaltney JM 1987 The problems of taste in placebo matching an evaluation of zinc gluconate for the common cold J Chronic Dis 40 875 9 MEDDATE issue Smith DS et al 1989 Failure of zinc gluconate in treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infections Antimicrob Agents Chemother 33 646 8 primary source MEDDATE issue unreliable medical source self published promotional unreferenced no peer review definitely needs to be removed Jafek BW Linschoten MR Murrow BW 2004 Anosmia after intranasal zinc gluconate use Am J Rhinol 18 137 41 case report Alexander TH Davidson TM 2006 Intranasal zinc and anosmia the zinc induced anosmia syndrome Laryngoscope 116 217 20 primary source Eby G 2012 The mouth nose biologically closed electric circuit in zinc lozenge therapy of common colds as explanation of rapid therapeutic action Expert Rev Respir Med 6 251 2 letter to the editor These souces are likely ok not sure how others feel Bakar NKA Taylor DM Williams DR 1999 The chemical speciation of zinc in human saliva possible correlation with reduction of the symptoms of the common cold produced by zinc gluconate containing lozenges Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability 11 95 101 apart from breaching MEDDATE th