Years ago, when a friend recommended Airborne for staving off colds, I was skeptical, as I always am with such claims. But after reading the ingredients and deciding they wouldn't hurt me (and I'm past the age of worrying that what I ingest will hurt someone else), I tried it. And it worked. Repeatedly. The number and the severity of my upper respiratory tract infections were drastically reduced, even though I was travelling and visiting young children, two definite risk factors. One year I had none at all. Zero. At the time, I exclaimed to all who would hear, "Maybe it really works, or maybe it's just the Placebo Effect. I don't care. I'm quite willing to pay a dollar a tablet for something that 'doesn't work' but so obviously improves my health."
The Federal Trade Commission disagrees, claiming there is no evidence for the efficacy of Airborne's products, and requiring the company to issue refunds for the price of up to six packages to those who request them. That won't include me. Not only am I not certain that $30 would be worth the paperwork involved, but more importantly, I don't see how I could in good conscience ask for a refund when the product worked.
Even Steven Gardner, director of litigation for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which was part of a class-action lawsuit against Airborne, admitted, ""It is pretty much impossible to prove that it didn't prevent a cold if you don't get a cold." And that's the point. Doctors, lawyers, and the government can worry about advertising claims and scientific proof of efficacy, but my concerns have a narrower focus: if I don't get a cold, that's good enough for me.
Speaking of the Placebo Effect, here's an interesting story on how it relates to exercise and fitness.
