Airborne is a Bust

Achoo! Uh, oh it's almost spring time and you've survived most of winter without getting sick. You're incessant bouts of sneezing have nothing to do with the pollen count. Yeah, you're on the verge of getting a cold. So, now you find yourself at your local pharmacy. Overwhelmed, you scan the shelves for the quickest remedy to zap this potential weekend spoiler out of your system. Then you see it - the herbal remedy that promises to help you feel better at the first sign of a cold. If you're thinking your weekend may be salvaged after all think again.

Colds are an inevitable part of our lives as we can get them at anytime of the year. Americans spend over 3 billion dollars annually to get rid of colds. So when a brand like Airborne comes around and after appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show takes off in sales I couldn't help but to try it. Truth be told, I did get better after taking the herbal tablets. But then again I also got more sleep, drank more fluids and even tried an old family remedy. I don't think I got better any sooner than if I hadn't taken Airborne. Unsure, I gave it another shot and another and another. Well, I eventually stopped taking it altogether because I wasn't sold on it working for me.

Airborne's recent 23 million dollar false advertisement settlement offer has me thinking some other people had their own reservations as well. Although the company admits to no legal misconduct they have agreed to refund consumers.

So, what went wrong?

Initially, the company claimed to be able to prevent and treat colds. This alarmed both medical experts and watchdog groups. With pressure mounting, Airborne changed their tune from curative to immune boosting. But, it was too little too late for some. The seed of doubt had been planted and early supporters of Airborne felt that the product was misleading. An ABC News investigation exposed problems concerning the study used to promote the effects of Airborne. In 2006, a California law firm representing an unhappy customer filed a lawsuit shortly after the show aired. Later that year, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) joined the lawsuit at the request of the law firm. CSPI is a nonprofit consumer watch group which evaluates the effects of dietary supplements.

A composite of vitamins, minerals and herbs created by Victoria Knight McDowell, Airborne shows little to no evidence of working according to the senior nutritionist at CSPI, David Schardt. Suprisingly, Schardt adds that the herbal remedy not only fails to do what it advertises, but it may also be a health hazard. The product may have too much Vitamin A. The maximum allowable amount of Vitamin A is 10,000 IU which is met in just two Airborne tablets although the company advises that three is the daily recommended amount.

Want to find more information about the settlement. Click here for details and information on how to claim your refund.

Sources: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20080304/cold-remedy-airborne-settles-lawsuit?page=2 , http://www.airbornehealthsettlement.com/index.htm