The consumption of dietary supplements and cold therapies containing high concentrations of zinc is now being called into question, following research that suggests it may worsen Clostridium difficile infection. The findings may also partially explain the increasing rates of C. diff infection in people who haven’t been hospitalized or treated with antibiotics, Skaar said. In the United States, C. diff infects about a half million people each year, causing disease ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon (colitis), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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