Airborne

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Airborne is a dietary supplement which is marketed in checkout lines everywhere with the totally unfounded claim that it wards off harmful bacteria and germs, and helps prevent the flu and colds. The "miracle" formula was supposedly created by Victoria Knight-McDowell, an elementary school teacher, and is said to contain herbal extracts, amino acids, anti-oxidants, electrolytes, synthetic vitamins, and other ingredients, and can be purchased in three different forms: a tablet which can be taken orally or dissolved in water, a chewable "gummi" lozenge, or a concentrated powder.

In 2008, Airborne Health Inc. agreed to pay $23.3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought against the company because there is no evidence that the supplement wards off harmful bacteria and germs.[1] Customers were told that they could be refunded for any Airborne they ever bought.

Despite the results of the lawsuit and the obvious crankery involved, Airborne is still sold (in the United States) in some stores' medicine aisles, tucked in between antihistamines and expectorants.

But there is a good side to Airborne, of sorts: the lozenge form only has 10 Calories, and tastes a lot like candy.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. "Airborne settles lawsuit for $23.3 million." CNN Money. 2008 March 4.
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