“By combining seven Chinese herbs* (each with a specific function in Eastern medicine), putting them through a patented extraction process, and combining them with a unique formulation of amino acids, antioxidants and electrolytes, the Airborne development team believe they have created a product that helps support and protect immune system function against airborne germs and viruses. They use an effervescent carrier as a way to deliver the nutritional benefits of Airborne to the system.”

Wow that is choice. Doesn’t a Sobe have basically the same properties, minus the effervescent nutritional benefits and the patented extraction process, of course. Who makes this stuff? I want to see the patent for the ginseng squeezer.

My favorite part is that I couldn’t find a footnote for the asterisk after “seven Chinese herbs.” Are the herbs not really Chinese? Are there really only six? Are they not really herbs? I also like the selection of “expert quotes” which do not reference the product, merely the supposed danger the product addresses.

We should find a bunch of expert quotes from articles about the dangers of unregulated herbal remedies, and attach them to the advertising for our unregulated herbal remedy that protects you from herbal remedies. People could take our sawdust-and-ginseng pill to protect themselves from everyone else’s sawdust-and-ginseng pills. We could sell dozens, I’m sure.

oh it can get so much worse.

http://www.happyinwater.com/life/archives/2005/06/01/addicted-and-ripping-off-the-teachers/

Take this as you will, but Nema swears by the stuff and she comes in contact with 100+ different kids each day of the week (for a total of over 600 over the week). I have never gotten sick when I've taken it.

But don't forget about all the times that you didn't take it and didn't get sick. I appreciate the endorsement, but anecdotal, self-reported, non-controlled testimony isn't statistically valid.

You know what would be awesome--- you should get Nema and the teachers at her school to run a double blind clinical trial. You could have pre-made fizzy drinks for all of the teachers every morning for a month, prepared by the principal and distributed by the secretary. Half could be alka-seltzer, and the other half Airborne. At the end you could look at the incidence of sickness and write a paper.

I'll even pay for it. :) I need Dave to help me design the experiment, though.

I'm similarly split on the stuff. I've used it each time I've flown and travelled lately, and warded off the sniffles. Ignore the Seven Chinese Herbs and look at the rest of the ingredients, and you've basically got a high-potency fizzy citrus multivitamin drink, which is a snake-oil-free good thing to be putting into yourself when you're about to get onto an airplane with very dry air.

Generally, I feel like the stuff is inexpensive and innocuous enough that I don't mind sipping a glassful. Even if it's just placebo, it seems to help.

That would actually be a very good experiment - especially given that kids are such a vector for disease. If Nema's not up for it, it would be a great science project for some junior high schooler out there and I'm sure that with funding someone would do it.