Airborne (dietary Supplement) - Testing, Research, and Controversy

Testing, Research, and Controversy

Although the manufacturer recommends that Airborne be taken "at the first sign of a cold symptom, or before entering crowded environments, like airplanes and offices," Airborne has not undergone any testing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Further, the manufacturer itself makes no actual claims with regard to user health (the claims are all along the lines of "all natural", "dissolves quickly", etc.) Because it is sold as a dietary supplement and not as a drug, current law allows it to be marketed without prior review and approval of testing results that demonstrate that it provides a medical remedy. However, all claims on the label for consumer products have to be truthful and supported by scientific evidence.

There are no studies supporting Airborne's effectiveness that meet scientific standards. The "GNG Pharmaceutical Services Inc." study often referenced in the debate over Airborne's effectiveness was sponsored by the Knight-McDowell Labs, manufacturers of Airborne. In February 2006, ABC News discovered that GNG Pharmaceutical Services has no official clinic, scientists, or even doctors. In fact the company comprises only two men, who started the company just to perform this study. Because of the bad publicity that this controversy has brought forth, Knight-McDowell Labs has removed all references to the study from their packaging and web site.

A medical report on Airborne addressed some of these concerns, specifically regarding its large amounts of vitamin C:

There are some concerns. First, there is no conclusive evidence that this product or any of its ingredients prevents colds or shortens their duration. Second, the adult tablet contains 1 g of vitamin C, and the directions for use advise taking 1 tablet at the first sign of a cold and repeating the dose every 3 hours as necessary. Vitamin C in doses higher than 1 g increases oxalate and urate excretion and may cause kidney stones. Third, the safety of this herbal extraction combination has not been established. And with herbs and dietary supplements in general, we only have the manufacturers’ word on the label for what’s in them.