Continuation of original AfC discussion    Thank you for putting inline citation into the lead   Primary sources are discouraged by the guideline delineated on WPMEDRS 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 eg 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  primary sources  WPMEDDATE  otherwise unreliable sources  possible conflict of interest  Many thanks       Hirt M Nobel S Barron E  Zinc nasal gel for the treatment of common cold symptoms a doubleblind placebocontrolled trial Ear Nose Throat J  primary source  Mossad SB  Effect of zincum gluconicum nasal gel on the duration and symptom severity of the common cold in otherwise healthy adults QJM  primary source  Pories WJ et al  Acceleration of healing with zinc sulfate Ann Surg  primary source WPMEDDATE issue  Simkin PA  Oral zinc sulphate in rheumatoid arthritis Lancet   primary source MEDDATE issue  Samman S Roberts DC  The effect of zinc supplements on plasma zinc and copper levels and the reported symptoms in healthy volunteers Med J Aust  primary source MEDDATE issue  Forman WB et al  Zinc abusean unsuspected cause of sideroblastic anemia West J Med  Case report MEDDATE issue  Fiske DN et al  Zincinduced sideroblastic anemia report of a case review of the literature and description of the hematologic syndrome Am J Hematol  Case report MEDDATE issue  Eby GA Davis DR Halcomb WW  Reduction in duration of common cold by zinc gluconate lozenges in a doubleblind study Antimicrob Agents Chemother  primary source MEDDATE issue  Godfrey JC  Zinc for the common cold Antimicrob Agents Chemother  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  Stability constants of zinc complexes affect common cold treatment results Antimicrob Agents Chemother  as above  Eby GA  Elimination of efficacy by additives in zinc acetate lozenges for common colds Clin Infect Dis  this appears to be a comment on a previous primary source  Prasad AS et al  Duration and severity of symptoms and levels of plasma interleukin receptor antagonist soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor and adhesion molecules in patients with common cold treated with zinc acetate J Infect Dis  primary source  Farr BM Gwaltney JM  The problems of taste in placebo matching an evaluation of zinc gluconate for the common cold J Chronic Dis  MEDDATE issue   Smith DS et al  Failure of zinc gluconate in treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infections Antimicrob Agents Chemother  primary source MEDDATE issue  httpcoldcurecomhtmlzinclozengeshtml unreliable medical source self published promotional unreferenced no peer review  definitely needs to be removed  Jafek BW Linschoten MR Murrow BW  Anosmia after intranasal zinc gluconate use Am J Rhinol  case report  Alexander TH Davidson TM  Intranasal zinc and anosmia the zincinduced anosmia syndrome Laryngoscope  primary source  Eby G  The mouthnose biologically closed electric circuit in zinc lozenge therapy of common colds as explanation of rapid therapeutic action Expert Rev Respir Med  letter to the editor   These souces are likely ok not sure how others feel  Bakar NKA Taylor DM Williams DR  The chemical speciation of zinc in human saliva possible correlation with reduction of the symptoms of the common cold produced by zinc gluconatecontaining lozenges Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability  apart from breaching MEDDATE th