Airborne and Emergen-C, two popular vitamin supplements, now fill the shelves of Eugene’s natural food shops, grocery stores and pharmacies, promising to boost consumers’ immune systems.
But students may want to think twice before downing a supplement as a defense against germs lurking on campus door handles and computer keyboards. Medical professionals doubt the effectiveness of these supplements because they say little scientific evidence proves they work.
The supplement industry relies on anecdotal evidence to market the effectiveness of its products, said Gregg Wendland, University Health Center pharmacy manager.
Products such as Airborne and Emergen-C carry disclaimers, so manufacturers cannot definitively claim their ability to cure cold symptoms, Wendland said.
“The consumer really needs to be cautious,” Wendland said. “The student should do some research on their own.”
Basic precautions, such as washing hands, getting lots of sleep and choosing healthy foods are still the best way to maintain good health, he said.
Airborne
A second-grade school teacher created this “herbal health formula” for consumers to take before entering germ-filled places, including airplanes and schools. Among the ingredients are small doses of vitamins, electrolytes, amino acids and antioxidants.
The product has an enormous number of ingredients, none of which is particularly active, said University Health Educator Annie Dochnahl.
“It’s an interesting dietary push being made available,” Dochnahl said.
Wendland said he knows several doctors who swear by the immune-boosting product, but he has doubts.
“Honestly, (Airborne) was relatively unknown until it was featured on Oprah three years ago,” Wendland said. “Oprah is a marvelous marketer.”
Successful marketing and word-of-mouth praise inflate the product’s name, Wendland said.
“The public is really receptive to herbal remedies and supplements right now,” he said.
University junior Whitney Welch recently used Airborne for a few days when she was sick.
“I think it cleared my congestion and made me feel a little better,” Welch said. “My sister had used it and liked it, so I thought I’d give it a try.”
The company’s Web site says “each ingredient in the Airborne formula has been repeatedly documented in published studies to contribute to a strong, healthy immune system.”
Each dose contains a number of different forms of vitamin C, Wendland said, but as a multivitamin Airborne is not spectacular. There is no scientific evidence to prove the product works better than regular vitamin C chewable tablets, he said.
“If you’re not getting a rundown of healthy foods, then it’s better than nothing,” Wendland said.
Student demand drives the Health Center’s pharmacy to stock the product for $8.25 for 10 tablets, Wendland said.
Emergen-C
Emergen-C is a sugar-sweetened vitamin C supplement composed of 32 various minerals and B vitamins. Available in flavors such as raspberry, lemon lime and super orange, the energy drink mix dissolves in cold or warm water.
Emergen-C and Airborne are “essentially competing products,” Wendland said.
Mineral compounds found in Emergen-C, including zinc, are supposed to be immune boosters, but neither Emergen-C nor Airborne will counter sickness,” Wendland said.
“They are cold preventives,” Wendland said. “They’re not marketed as remedies.”
Emergen-C is sugary, adding to its popularity, he added.
“Diabetic patients should be especially wary,” Wendland said.
When consumers take the manufacturer’s suggestion of two to four doses daily, they are essentially consuming megadoses of vitamin C. In extreme cases, vitamin C can alter the body’s pH balance because it’s a water-soluble vitamin, Wendland said.
University sophomore Makena Walsh, who heard about Emergen-C from his mom, said he has been taking Emergen-C everyday for the past two weeks, anticipating cold season.
He takes Emergen-C because it works effectively, he said.
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