Students and employees of Ohlone College have been inundated by information
about the H1N1 virus (aka, swine flu) in recent days. As the panic begins to fade, it
might be important to consider how to go about separating good advice from bad
insofar as keeping ourselves healthy.
In addition to the generally wise practice of washing our hands and staying
home if we feel sick, some reports suggest that Americans are also turning in
droves to numerous unfounded preventions and treatments, many of which can be
purchased in any drug store or at your local grocer. Before you decide to
utilize any of the currently popular over-the-counter cold/flu medications,
however, it might be wise to make sure they have actual science to back them
up. And many of them do not.
As one example, consider one of the most popular such products, Airborne, a cleverly marketed concoction "invented" by a schoolteacher with no medial training or
education. It contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, each carrying a
general health benefit, but none of which has been shown to prevent, treat, or
cure colds or flus. In fact, several of the ingredients in Airborne can be
detrimental to your health if taken in the dosage suggested by product
manufacture
rs.
Until recently, the Airborne web site carried a reference to what they
claimed was a clinical study which proved its efficacy in curing colds, but
which was later found to be fraudulent; the company said to have conducted the
study, GNG Pharmaceuticals, turned out to be an entity created by the company
that sells Airborne, and consisted of only two men, neither of whom had any
education or training in medicine or science. Since ABC News
aired a story which detailed those facts and showed the poor design of the
research, the Airborne web site stopped carrying a reference to that study.
Instead, its site now couches the supposed positive health effects of the
Airborne product under the heading "Our Belief" (a decidedly less convincing
presentation), and relies heavily upon testimonials and research on the overall
health benefits of each individual ingredient in the product.
On December 16, 2008, Airborne settled a
lawsuit by 32 State Attorneys General after complaints about the
advertising and labeling used for Airborne dietary supplements. The Federal Trade Commission had
sued and won an earlier settlement, bringing the total penalties to just
over $30,000,000. “There is no credible evidence that Airborne products,
taken as directed, will reduce the severity or duration of colds, or provide any
tangible benefit for people who are exposed to germs in crowded places,”
said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. As part
of the settlements, Airborne admitted no wrongdoing, but agreed to dramatic
changes in their packaging, labeling, and advertising claims. More disguised
and careful wording is now used regarding customer satisfaction and how the
product "is designed to" improve immune functioning, rather than making claims
that the product does improve immune functioning.
In short, the scientific evidence suggests that you should NOT take Airborne,
and the story of this product provides a reminder of the importance of using
critical thinking and good judgment when making decisions about your health,
especially during times of confusion and fear over a pandemic.
-- Sheldon
s that will test your perceptive abilities and make you better aware of just how the brain's perceptive abilities work (and don't work) to give us a sense of the world around us. For a preview of such wonders, click the image to the right and stare at it for a moment. Although your brain may tell you otherwise, I promise it's not actually moving.
ke the recent event in Florida that many hailed as miraculous. Some would say the miracle was the of the appearance of the "Virgin Mary" in a grilled cheese sandwich. Others would say that the true miracle occurred some 10 years later, when the owner (and griller) of the sandwich sold it on eBay for $28,000.
