Hello josh,
The only study I could find of Airborne lozenges was one run by an
independent group, GNG Phamaceuticals, and presented on Airborne?s own
site. The FDA does not require controlled studies of this type of
remedy. I have posted several study findings on the active ingredients
of Airborne further down in the answer.
To read and hear about Airborne?s study results, click on the button
that says ?Clinical Trials are In? Warning-If you have your computer?s
sound on, you will hear an annoying voice speaking about the clinical
trial.
http://www.airbornehealth.com/
As you will determine by reading the customer reviews on Amazon.com,
the remedy seems to work well for some, and not so well for others.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006G9LZ/102-0621586-8259311?v=glance
List of customer endorsements on Drugstore.com
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=76905&catid=382&trx=29067&tab=1#1
Would an endorsement from Oprah Winfrey convince you? :-)
http://www.paulmalkowski.us/ab_6474757.htm
?Last year, the company said, Airborne recorded $21.4 million in
sales. Rider McDowell said he had expected sales to double this year.
Then on Sept. 30, his wife appeared on Oprah Winfrey's television
show. Winfrey said she had stocked up on Airborne's five flavors. Nine
days later, the flu-shot crisis began. So did an Airborne bonanza.?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17737-2004Dec21_2.html
From the Washington Post:
??sales of Airborne have been particularly strong, up 300 percent over a year ago.
Airborne began as a home project by Virginia Knight-McDowell, a
California second-grade teacher who was fed up with catching colds
from students. Over the years, she experimented with vitamins and
herbal substances until she discovered a blend that she says prevented
her from getting sick. The $167,000 used to launch the product came
from a script her husband, Rider McDowell, wrote for a Christmas
movie, "The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17737-2004Dec21_2.html
?Other immune-boosting strategies include combinations of herbs and
vitamins, such as the Quantum Cold & Flu Formula elixir (available in
health-food stores) or the fizzy Airborne tablet (800-590-9794).
Internist Shari Midoneck, an associate professor of clinical medicine
at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and her husband,
Mark Pochapin, a gastroenterologist, believe that the dietary
supplement Culturelle (culturelle.com) -- a probiotic containing
Lactobacillus GG, which replenishes healthy bacteria in the colon --
is a good immune stimulant that routinely nips their own colds in the
bud. In fact, they're currently conducting their own study on it.?
http://www.zicam.com/site/news/article2.html
Airborne Products
=================
Airborne Effervescent Tablets
Ingredients: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Zinc,
Selenium, Manganese, Potassium Organic Herbal Extracts: Lonicera,
Forsythia, Schizonepeta, Ginger, Chinese Vitex, Isatis Root, Echinacea
Amino Acids: Glutamine, Lysine
Directions: May be used in hot or cold water. At the first sign of a
cold symptom, simply drop 1 Airborne tablet in a small amount of plain
water. Let dissolve (about 1 minute) and drink. Repeat every three
hours as necessary. Children: One half tablet.
Contents: 1 Tube - 10 Effervescent Tablets
http://www.paulmalkowski.us/ab_6474757.htm
Airborne Gummi Sore Throat Lozenges-for ages 3-103
?Made in Switzerland, delicious AirborneŽ Sore Throat Gummi Lozenges
offer long lasting relief for minor sore throat irritation and come in
six natural flavors (and are shaped like our signature cold germs!).
Each lozenge contains a portion of the famous AirborneŽ Formula.
Great for adults and kids.?
The product contains these herbal extracts:
Lonicera, Forsythia, Schizonepeta, Ginger, Chinese Vitex, Isatis Root,
Echinacea, along with vitamins, zinc and magnesium. You can see an
illustration of the label on the following site:
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=79006&catid=9328&trx=PLST-0-SRCH&trxp1=9328&trxp2=79006&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-SRCH
Pediatric Version
http://www.drugstore.com/qxp76906_332828_sespider/airborne/effervescent_health_formula_tablets_jr__for_kids.htm
Below are studies on the active ingredients in Airborne, however.
You will find that there are studies and reports that are opposing in
their conclusion. Keep in mind that herbal remedies are not generally
regulated by the FDA, so many remedies have not been studied in a
controlled manner. Another factor is herbs and supplements are not
standardized, as pharmaceuticals. It is difficult to measure the
efficacy of herbals, because of this lack of standardization. Results
depend too, on which part of the plant is used, where the plant was
grown, the age of the plant, and so on.
Vitamin C
=========
Pro:
====
From WebMD:
?Presenting at the 60th Anniversary Meeting of the American Academy of
Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) on Tuesday, Ritter and
colleagues reported that 12 healthy subjects who took one gram of
vitamin C a day for two weeks showed a boosted immune system response
during that time.
What's more, when they looked at responses in four of the patients,
they found that in two of them, the response to vitamin C took place
within five hours. According to Ritter, this might mean that taking a
vitamin C tablet at the first sign of a cold could achieve an effect
quickly enough to ward off that cold. "You may not have to take it
every day," she says.
Ritter and colleagues drew blood from the subjects before and after
they had taken one gram of vitamin C a day for two weeks. They
isolated the immune system cells from the blood of the subjects and
measured the levels of immunity boosting substances called cytokines.
Certain virus-fighting cytokines were increased after two weeks of
taking the vitamin; however, when they measured the levels two weeks
later, they found that the levels had returned to normal, suggesting
that the effect is short-lived.?
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/62/71548.htm?z=1728_00000_1000_ln_01
?In addition, several studies have found that vitamin C decreases the
severity of symptoms once a person actually has a cold. And now zinc
is becoming a major player on the symptom-reducing scene, too. In work
carried out at the Cleveland Clinic, researchers studied 100
individuals who developed a cold during the autumn of 1994. Fifty of
those sick individuals sucked on a zinc lozenge containing 13.3 mg of
zinc gluconate every two hours while awake, while the 50 subjects in
the placebo group instead sucked lactate pentahydrate lozenges.
Lozenge therapy was started within 24 hours after the onset of
symptoms ('Zinc Glutonate Lozenges for Treating the Common Cold',
Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 125, pp.81-88, 1996).?
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0104.htm
?Studies carried out since then have found that high doses of vitamin
C alleviate common cold symptoms, indicating that the vitamin does
indeed have physiologic effects on colds (Hemila 1997a,b). However,
despite the large number of placebo-controlled studies showing that
vitamin C supplementation alleviates the symptoms of the common cold,
widespread skepticism about vitamin C persists.?
http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcls-txt/t-prtcl-036.html
?True, research about the effects of vitamin C on the incidence of
colds hasn't always been positive. Some studies have shown that
vitamin C can decrease the frequency of colds, while others have found
that vitamin C is no better than an inactive placebo. Sadly enough,
the truth is that most of these studies have indicated that vitamin-C
supplementation has no marked impact on cold frequency, contradicting
Nobel laureate Linus Pauling's contention that vitamin C is
protective.
However, most of these investigations have not included people engaged
in strenuous exercise, the situation in which vitamin C should be able
to do its best work. When sports-active individuals have been studied,
the results have been much more positive.?
It seems the sedentary may not be helped, but folks with active
lifestyles may have something to gain from Vitamin C.
?? the truth is that vitamin C probably can't help the sedentary man
in the street very much, but almost all of the 'good' (randomised,
placebo-controlled, double-blind) research looking at the effects of
vitamin C on the incidence of colds has shown C to be extremely
effective during periods of increased physical activity. For example,
in a study carried out with 279 school-age children attending a
strenuous ski camp in the Swiss Alps, 22 per cent of the youngsters
taking placebo developed colds during a one-week period while just 12
per cent of the children taking in 1000 mg of daily C fell ill. Cold
risk was cut almost in half and the difference was statistically
significant ('Ascorbic Acid and the Common Cold', Journal of the
American Medical Association, vol. 235, p. 1108, 1976).?
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0104.htm
Con:
====
The following site cites several studies that conclude Vitamin C is of
little or no use in preventing colds.
?In 2001, an Australian team published the results of a double-blind,
randomised clinical trial with four intervention arms: vitamin C at
daily doses of 0.03g ("placebo"), 1 g, 3g, or 3g with additives
("Bio-C") taken at onset of a cold and for the following two days. The
study included 400 healthy volunteers who were followed over an
18-month period. The participants were instructed to take the pills
when they had experienced early symptoms of a cold for four hours, and
to record daily their symptoms, severity, doctor visits, and use of
other medications. Among the 149 participants who returned records for
184 colds, no significant differences were found from one group to
another?
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/colds.html
Vitamin A
=========
Mixed:
?Vitamin A helps your body's immune system fight off many infections
and inflammations. These include measles and some foodborne
infections. But in the case of some other familiar ailments, including
asthma, common colds, or pneumonia, this essential nutrient may not be
quite as helpful.
Charles B. Stephensen, an ARS physiologist, is interested in solving
the mystery of why this vitamin interacts in these differing ways with
our immune system. He explains, "We want to take full advantage of
vitamin A's ability to boost our immune system. But to do that, we
have to know precisely how vitamin A will act when the immune system
of an otherwise healthy person is challenged by a particular disease
organism. Right now, our knowledge is still quite limited."
Earlier work by Stephensen and others in the 1990s suggested that,
although vitamin A enhanced kids' recovery from measles and other
infections, it did not help, or perhaps even slowed, their recovery
from bacterial pneumonia.?
Vitamin E:
==========
Pro:
====
Vitamin E may curb colds in old folks
?Earlier studies of the effects of the antioxidant vitamin E against
infection in elderly populations produced mixed results. In the new
work, researchers gave 617 nursing home residents in the Boston area a
daily multivitamin plus a capsule that contained either 200
international units (IU) of vitamin E or inert ingredients.
At the end of a full year, the researchers found that 62 percent of
the study participants taking the placebo had experienced at least one
upper respiratory infection, compared with only 50 percent of those
getting vitamin E. Most of the infections were colds.?
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_10_166/ai_n6206579
Con:
=====
?Older people who were given a vitamin E supplement (200 IU a day) had
worse colds and other respiratory infections than older people who
were given a placebo, says a new study from the Netherlands. A daily
multivitamin-mineral supplement (which contained only 10 IU of vitamin
E) didn't help or hurt.
The study randomly assigned 652 healthy, well-nourished people aged 60
or older to take one or both supplements or a placebo every day for
roughly 15 months. When the vitamin-E-takers got a cold or the flu, it
lasted an average of 19 days (versus 14 days for the placebo-takers),
and they suffered from six symptoms (versus four for the
placebo-takers). The E-takers were also more likely to have a fever
and be unable to participate in their usual activities.?
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0813/is_9_29/ai_94121331
Zinc
====
Pro:
====
?A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial has
shown that zinc gluconate lozenges produce a reduction in the duration
of cold symptoms. In this study, patients received zinc lozenges or
placebo lozenges every 2 hours for the duration of cold symptoms. The
median time to complete resolution of cold symptoms was 4.4 days in
the zinc group, compared with 7.6 days in the placebo group (Anon.
1997).
Another study to test the benefits of zinc gluconate lozenges showed
that the time to complete resolution of symptoms was significantly
shorter in the zinc group than in the placebo group. The zinc group
had significantly fewer days with coughing, headache, hoarseness,
nasal congestion, nasal drainage, and sore throat (Mossad et al.
1996). By dissolving two zinc lozenges in the mouth every few hours,
the zinc will help inactivate cold viruses multiplying in the throat.?
http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcls-txt/t-prtcl-036.html
?The zinc lozenge therapy worked really well. Basically, placebo-group
members took about 7.5 days on average to get over their colds, while
people taking zinc sent their colds down the sink in just four days.
'Maximal possible lifespan' of colds was also much higher in the
placebo group. For example, 20 of the 50 placebo-takers had colds
which lasted for at least 10 days, while just three people in the zinc
group had such long-lasting illnesses. Nine placebo people had colds
with 16-day durations (!); no one who took zinc was still unwell after
such a long period. On average, a zinc taker needed about 36 lozenges
to get over a cold.?
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0104.htm
Con:
====
Not anti-zinc, just a bit of a warning:
?Too much zinc might be as counterproductive to health as too little
zinc. Doses of zinc above 100 mg may depress immunity. Zinc in excess
of 150mg to 200 mg a day might interfere with copper absorption and
could result in a secondary deficiency of this trace mineral. Zinc may
also cause stomach upset.?
http://health.discovery.com/encyclopedias/1826.html
Ingredients To Avoid
=====================
Some ingredients found in cold and flu remedies are either dangerous
or a waste of money:
* Phenylpropanolamine (PPA). A common ingredient in cold remedies, PPA
was recently banned by the FDA because it has been linked to strokes.
Be sure to check the labels of all medicines you have and discard any
that contain PPA.
* Vitamin C. Studies find that vitamin C does not prevent colds and
likely does not shorten them either.
* Zinc. Evidence that zinc helps colds is weak?
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0817/is_2_54/ai_69250202
Echinacea
=========
Pro:
====
Echinacea purpurea therapy for the treatment of the common cold: a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
?Echinacea purpurea stimulates the immune response and is promoted to
reduce symptom severity and the duration of upper respiratory tract
infections.?
?Some studies have concluded that Echinacea effectively reduces the
symptoms and duration of the common cold. We were unable to replicate
such findings. Further studies using different preparations and
dosages of E purpurea are necessary to validate previous claims.?
Yale SH, Liu K. Arch Intern Med 2004;164:1237-1241
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDN/is_3_9/ai_n6228199
?Three studies show that echinacea reduced severity of symptoms on
URI symptom scoring instruments and reduced the duration of illness by
one to two days. (7-9) [Reference 9--Evidence level B, lower quality
RCT] One of these studies (7) examined a preparation made from the
root of E. pallida, which is not widely sold in the United States; the
other studies (8,9) examined proprietary preparations based on liquid
preparations of E. purpurea (trade names, Echinaforce and
EchinaGuard), which more closely resemble the typical echinacea
preparations that are available in the United States. Small sample
sizes (54 to 80 subjects in the active treatment groups) limit the
applicability of many of the study results.?
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3225/is_1_67/ai_96403875
?Unfortunately, much of the clinical data published prior to 1991
suffered from poor methodology and, therefore, was difficult to
assess. However, more recent controlled clinical trials have suggested
that while Echinacea may not be effective for the prophylaxis of upper
respiratory tract infections, these products may be useful in
decreasing the symptoms and duration of illness.
In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that the therapeutic effects of
Echinacea are due to a stimulation of cellular immune response. The
major adverse events reported are allergic reactions, ranging from
contact dermatitis to anaphylaxis. Patients with an allergy to plants
in the daisy family (Asteraceae) should be instructed not to use
products containing Echinacea. No drug interactions have been
reported,?
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1523-5408.2001.00143.x/abs/
Con:
====
A 2003 study at the University of Washington and Bastyr University
found Echinacea ineffective in children.
??that echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), an herb often used to treat
colds (upper respiratory infections), is not effective in young
children. The researchers reported that use of echinacea from the
onset of symptoms did not lessen the number of days the colds lasted
or the severity of symptoms.?
?The researchers concluded that the "results do not support the use of
echinacea for treatment of upper respiratory infections in children 2
to 11 years old." In addition, the researchers recommend more studies
to look at other echinacea preparations or different doses or dosing
schedules to determine if there is any possible role for echinacea in
treating colds in children. They also suggest further research to
determine whether echinacea has any role in preventing colds.?
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/alerts/echinacea/
?In April 1998 (p. 8) we reported that taking echinacea regularly
doesn't seem to protect people from getting colds, and that it isn't
clear which form of echinacea can shorten a cold's duration or relieve
its symptoms. New research confirms that the herb doesn't prevent
colds.
In the first good U.S. study, people who took the EchinaGuard brand
every day got no fewer colds than people who took a lookalike (but
echinacea-free) placebo. The study, which hasn't yet been published,
was sponsored by EchinaGuard's U.S. distributor, Nature's Way. But
echinacea's ability to shorten the length of colds or ease their
symptoms is still up in the air.?
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0813/is_10_26/ai_57943197
Lonicera and Forsythia are Chinese herbs, used for their ?anti-toxin?
properties. They appear to be harmless, especially in small amounts.
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/lonicera.htm
Schizonepeta is another Chinese herb, used for itching. It may calm the throat.
http://www.herbmed.org/Herbs/Herb7.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10823672&dopt=Abstract
?"The first thing is to try to avoid contact with people who have
respiratory symptoms," said Parham. And, if you do have contact, keep
your hands away from your nose and face and wash your hands.
One problem, he said, is that a person may be most contagious two to
three days before they show symptoms. The cold season starts in the
fall when cooler weather and school put more folks indoors in close
proximity to each other, he noted.
Among the so-called natural remedies on the market, Parham said the
only one he's found that indicates promise from scientific studies is
zinc, available over-the-counter in lozenges and in a nasal spray.
Echinacea, is a frequently mentioned alternative medicine remedy, with
mixed study results, he said.
Other over-the-counter cold remedies include Airborne, a
vitamin-and-herbal extract effervescent tablet that's been featured on
"Oprah" and offered at drugstores including Walgreen's and CVS, and a
wellness formula offered by Nature?s Pantry.?
http://web.knoxnews.com/healthsentinel/folk_cures.cfm
Additional Information:
=======================
Center for Medical Consumers
http://www.medicalconsumers.org/pages/ColdsFluWhatWorks.html
How Stuff Works
http://home.howstuffworks.com/vitamin-c3.htm
Vitamin C Studies
http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1023&context=uclabiolchem/nutritionbytes
?Don't forget that if you believe you're taking something that will
help, it very well might (the placebo effect). And you can never
overestimate the dollop of love served with chicken soup, says
Cassetti, because "psychological factors can have dramatic effects on
outcomes."
http://www.zicam.com/site/news/article2.html
Josh, it seems many studies are contradictory and are not totally
conclusive. Anecdotally, I can tell you I found Airborne at my local
air force base BX and tried it at the first sign of a cold, and it
seemed to have lessened my symptoms. Placebo effect or not, I was
pleased. Of course, it is certainly possible I would have had a mild
cold had I NOT taken the product, but there was no harm done.
Certainly, barring an allergy to an ingredient in Airborne Lozenges,
or if one is taking medications that may be incompatible with
Airborne, they seem harmless, if not beneficial!
If any part of my answer requires further explanation, I will be happy
to assist you further, if possible. Simply click on the Answer
Clarification, before rating, and I will respond as soon as possible.
Regards,
crabcakes
Search Terms
Herbal cold remedy reviews
Airborne + remedy + efficacy
Vitamin C efficacy
Vitamin E efficacy
Vitamin A efficacy |
