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I heard about this. They only lost $23 million in the lawsuit? Sounds like bullcrap is still a very lucrative business.
Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
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It's interesting reading the comments on the ABC article.
quote: Since Airborne came on the market I have taken it religiously at the first sign of a cold or sore throat. Since then I have had only one cold and no bouts of flu. I am sold on the product and routinely recommend it to others. I also take it before every flight and have never been sick on a vacation.I have no intention of requesting a refund; I have received more than my money's worth and plan to continue being a loyal, healthy customer.
And since I heard of Airborne, I have refused to take it. I fly all the time between home and school. I live in a dorm. I think I've gotten seriously ill about one time in the past two years.
So by the same logic, not taking Airborne is a good way to stay healthy Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Apparently schoolteacher superpowers don't extend to herbal remedies. I take no supplements at the first sign of a cold, and it usually goes away! (I do rest, which may or may not have an effect).
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Achilles: Cool. Maybe "Head-On" is next.
But head-on makes no claims. As far as I can tell, the wholepoint is to stick it on your head and look cool. Posts: 1001 | Registered: Mar 2006
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if I've bought a couple of boxes of this stuff but don't have proof of purchase, I can still get cash out of the settlement?
I'd go for getting money out of head-on but I have not bought head-on nor would I even pretend to have for money. It's the saddest scam in the history of daytime advertising.
Posts: 15421 | Registered: Aug 2005
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I took Airborne once a day, M-F, during my student teaching because of all the sick students and teachers around. I really didn't want to get sick since it was hard enough all ready for me to get there every day (being very pregnant at the time). And I didn't get sick. Sure, I don't know if I would have gotten sick without it, but I definitely don't think the extra vitamins hurt me. I never thought it was a cure-all miracle drug, but I do feel it helps.
Posts: 1635 | Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:Originally posted by hansenj: Sure, I don't know if I would have gotten sick without it, but I definitely don't think the extra vitamins hurt me. I never thought it was a cure-all miracle drug, but I do feel it helps.
You'd be a lot better off (and so would your wallet) with a multivitamin and a dose of echinacea. Speaking of which, echinacea should never be taken for more than about 2 weeks at a time, and is generally considered to be contraindicated in pregnant women.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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The studies in the US involving dried echinacea, taken in pill form, haven't shown any conclusive benefit. I believe that there have been European studies that *have* shown tinctures of echinacea to be at least marginally effective, however. CT, am I recalling correctly?
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Noemon: I believe that there have been European studies that *have* shown tinctures of echinacea to be at least marginally effective, however.
That is my understanding. Also, I thought the US results were mixed, and some with poor results were found to have used brands that tended to have little or no active ingredient?
Let's all give thanks again to the wisdom of Congress in passing the DHSEA.
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Yes, some preparations of echinacea were found to have some effect, and some studies were found to be of preparations with little to no active ingredient.
And it's 10 days-- you're not supposed to take echinacea for more than 10 consecutive days, or it loses effectiveness. I've also heard that you shouldn't take it for the full 10 days more than once in a 30 day month.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I've heard one week, 10 days, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and even 8 weeks. I figured 2 weeks was right in the middle. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Achilles: Cool. Maybe "Head-On" is next.
But head-on makes no claims. As far as I can tell, the wholepoint is to stick it on your head and look cool.
Their marketing team needs to be bussed to the 1800's and lynched. That's the world's most annoying commercial.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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The studies I read that seemed most reliable said 10 days; a marked decrease in effectiveness was noted after that. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Samprimary, the way I read the proposed Settlement Agreement is that yes, if you purchased product but have no proof of purchase (receipts preferred, looked like maybe they'd take UPCs as well?), you CAN file a claim, but you are limited to 6 boxes total and you have to file additional signed affidavits swearing that you're filing a true claim and really did purchase. I also saw something about "the average cost of the Products", which I didn't parse well enough to completely understand. There were references to the retail prices of the three types of product earlier in that section, so maybe undocumented claims get an average of those 3 prices times however many boxes you're claiming.
This settlement has NOT been accepted by the judge yet, from what I read. Although the Agreement authorizes a total class fund of $23.25 million and full reimbursement of purchased Product, there's no guarantee yet that it will finalize this way. Which reminds me, I need to check on the status of the Netflix class action...
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by PSI Teleport: *sigh* Maybe I should jump on the bandwagon and sue vitamin C.
I actually read an article the other day about how Vitamin C is getting new attention and a lot of new research dollars for having a myriad of positive health effects that no one ever really knew about before. It boosts the immune system, keeps you young, protects your heart, wards off cancer and I think can actually force the planets into interstellar alignment.
Seriously though, Vitamin C has some major healthy mojo going for it, and there are decades of old and now a lot of new, studies to back it up.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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While vitamin C is necessary and beneficial, to the best of my knowledge it's benefits tend to be highly overstated quite often, especially the benefits at the dosages it is sold in (often around 500-1000% RDA, in my experience).
Posts: 2437 | Registered: Apr 2005
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When I was living in Mexico, I had occasion to undergo a course of treatment consisting of intervenous vitamin C. 4cc's a dose for several days. I had an head cold when I got the first injection. (not the reason for the treatment) I actually felt the cold evaporate. It took about two minutes, and I was symptom free. They never came back eather. I've never tried it in this country. But, I am convinced that it worked that day.
Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005
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quote:While vitamin C is necessary and beneficial, to the best of my knowledge it's benefits tend to be highly overstated quite often, especially the benefits at the dosages it is sold in (often around 500-1000% RDA, in my experience).
As someone I know said when somebody wanted him to endorse an herbal supplement -- "Why should I endorse a product that people are just going to piss out?"
It's about absorption -- not intake.
Posts: 3423 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Lyrhawn! I don't doubt that vitamin C does have all sorts of benefits to the human body. I was joking about all the hype that vitamin C can make your colds disappear. (I can still hear my grandma ordering me to eat it whenever I was sick.) But as far as I know, any "evidence" that it works is purely anecdotal. I could be wrong. Is there any scientific evidence that vitamin C directly affects the length of your cold when taken after onset?
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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I don't know about colds specifically. I know there is a lot of scientific evidence about the positive health effects of Vitamin C, but I'm not sure about what it will do for colds after you already have them. I know it strengthens the immune system, but, specifically I'm not sure.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:MAIN RESULTS: Thirty trial comparisons involving 11,350 study participants contributed to the meta-analysis on the relative risk (RR) of developing a cold whilst taking prophylactic vitamin C. ...[notes separate analysis on subgroup of six trials involving a total of 642 marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers on sub-arctic exercises] ... Thirty comparisons involving 9676 respiratory episodes contributed to a meta-analysis on common cold duration during prophylaxis. ... Seven trial comparisons involving 3294 respiratory episodes contributed to the meta-analysis of cold duration during therapy with vitamin C initiated after the onset of symptoms. No significant differences from placebo were seen. Four trial comparisons involving 2753 respiratory episodes contributed to the meta-analysis of cold severity during therapy and no significant differences from placebo were seen. ... AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The failure of vitamin C supplementation to reduce the incidence of colds in the normal population indicates that routine mega-dose prophylaxis is not rationally justified for community use. But evidence suggests that it could be justified in people exposed to brief periods of severe physical exercise or cold environments.
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True as well, but Vitamin C is fairly easy and cheap to supplement in tandem or pair with iron-rich foods.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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That's more expensive than c-fortified apple juice, though. I also like tomatoes, though-- tomatoes go well with beans, IMO.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Yes but orange juice has more deliciousness.
Especially the Simply Orange brand, which I find to be a tad on the expensive side for my own shopping budget, but it's so good. When/if they come out out with a Simply Apple, I'll give it a go and we'll see.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Zicam is useless too. That supposed clinical study was done by one researcher paid by Zicam, and his methods have been criticized. The only approval it received from the FDA was as a "homeopathic" remedy. Read up on homeopathy, and see what a lark it is. Having FDA approval does not mean that Zicam is legitimate medicine.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Neat! They don't carry that at my local grocery store! We have Simply Orange, Lemonade, Grapefruit and LIMEADE! But no apple. I guess it's relatively new but, come on, we get limeade and not apple juice?
I wonder if I can order it off Amazon's grocery store...
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Of course, I'm spoiled here in CA, with our farmers' markets that run year-round and our fresh cheap citrus. I picked up a motorized juicer at a yard sale for $1.50 and that's the only OJ I drink any more.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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(Oh, and as for bottled apple juice, Trader Joe's Gravenstien juice is simply without match. )
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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By the way, Airborne is marketed as a homeopathic remedy, too, just like Zicam. Here is how Webster's online dictionary defines "homeopathy": "a system of medical practice that treats a disease especially by the administration of minute doses of a remedy that would in healthy persons produce symptoms similar to those of the disease." In practice, the "medicine" is diluted so many times, it is statistically unlikely that a single molecule of the original substance is present. True believers also believe that you can just apply the diluted medicine to a picture of the diseased person, tree, or whatever, to effect a cure. In other words, anything approved as a homeopathic remedy is approved as a FOLK REMEDY with no guarantee of effectiveness, whatsoever.
As long as your product is not demonstrably harmful, you can get it approved by the FDA to be marketed as anything in the world you claim for it, if you call it homeopathic, wink wink! That is how companies with absolutely worthless, totally ineffective products, can market them "with FDA approval."
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: As long as your product is not demonstrably harmful, you can get it approved by the FDA to be marketed as anything in the world you claim for it, if you call it homeopathic, wink wink! That is how companies with absolutely worthless, totally ineffective products, can market them "with FDA approval."
That's not true. This is why that shrill HeadOn ad just keeps repeating "Apply directly to forehead!!!" They never actually claim it cures headaches on air. In print the rules might be different.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
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What I find interesting is that products will say "for defense against colds" or whatever and then say in smaller print "this product makes no medicinal claims and is not intended to prevent, cure, or treat any disease or disorder."
Then why do you market it for defense against colds?
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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What do they claim for Airborne? I would never use a product marketed as a homeopathic remedy--but I see my sister has some. I read the box. What they claim is that it "supports the immune system." In another place it is called "immune-boosting." That is all. Hmph. Water supports the immune system. So does breathing deeply. See what a crock this is?
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Lyrhawn! I don't doubt that vitamin C does have all sorts of benefits to the human body. I was joking about all the hype that vitamin C can make your colds disappear. (I can still hear my grandma ordering me to eat it whenever I was sick.) But as far as I know, any "evidence" that it works is purely anecdotal. I could be wrong. Is there any scientific evidence that vitamin C directly affects the length of your cold when taken after onset?
