What’s in airborne tablets?

Picture this – it’s a beautiful sunny day, birds chirping outside, and the wind is gently blowing through your hair. And then suddenly you sneeze so hard that you lose your balance! Sounds like a pretty embarrassing moment, right? Well lucky for us humans, there are tons of products out there to help combat the dreaded common cold. One of those being Airborne tablets.

The funny thing about these little pills is that nobody really knows what exactly is in them. Sure, they have some general ingredients listed on their package but that doesn’t necessarily mean much to us non-scientific folks. So if you’ve ever been curious about what’s in those colorful tablets here’s everything we could find!

The Basics: What Are Airborne Tablets?

Airborne tablets are marketed as immune support supplements intended to assist with maintaining overall health and wellness during times when your immune system might need an additional boost.

According to their website, “Airborne was created by a second-grade teacher who was sick of getting germs from her students.” She worked with nutritionists and scientists until she found the perfect combination of vitamins and minerals that helped her feel better faster whenever she felt under the weather.

One interesting aspect is how popular airborne has become over time attaining almost cult-like status among its users often referred to colloquially as ‘frequent-flyers’ suggesting potentially dubious benefits beyond nutritional supplementation supporting physiology or immunology.

So What Makes Up This Miracle Cure-All?

For starters let’s take a look at the ingredients listed on its packaging:

  • Vitamin A (as Retinyl Acetate) 2,500 IU
  • Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) 1g
  • Vitamin E (as dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) 30 IU
  • Magnesium (as Oxide & Sulfate) 40mg
  • Zinc (as Sulfate) 8mg
  • Selenium (as Chelate) 15mcg
  • Manganese (as Gluconate) 4mg
  • Sodium (?!)
  • Potassium (again, really?)
    Other ingredients include Citric Acid, Sorbitol, Natural and Artificial Flavors,some kind of red dye, Sucralose & Acesulfame Potassium.

A table would be a great way to make this information easier to understand:

Ingredient Amount
Vitamin A 2,500 IU
Vitamin C 1g
Vitamin E 30 IU
Magnesium 40mg
Zinc 8mg
Selenium 15mcg
Manganese 4mg
Ridiculous amounts of sodium and potassium

Don’t worry we’ll get into what some of these fancy words mean in just a moment!

The Ingredients: Decoded

Let’s take the first ingredient listed – Vitamin A. Besides being an essential nutrient for good vision and skin health it also helps with immune system support.

Next up is Vitamin C. Most people know that this vitamin has antioxidants that might help prevent infections by increasing your body’s levels of white blood cells fighting off bad bacteria or viruses like colds or flu.

Now onto Vitamin E, which besides working as another antioxidant to protect against free radicals causing cellular damage can actually increase T-cell production helping with our bodies’ natural defense mechanisms. Who knew!

Magnesium works alongside calcium assisting with musscle contraction relaxtion as well as nerve function improving ususlally thought immunological response in fighting infection..

Zinc plays a role in regulation processes within the immune system supporting things from cell growth communication diminishing contagion by viruses/bacteria.

Selenium is a trace mineral involved in various physiological functions notably antioxidant protection leading against stressors aiding molecular disposal and facilitating immune response to foreign invaders.

Manganese has the capability of scavenging free radicals neutralizing metals and protecting cells maintaining optimal neuromuscular apparatus including robust potassium-sodium pump exchange ubiquitous throughout musculature.

Finally let’s talk sodium & potassium. They’re both electrolytes need for proper cellular function but not necessarily important for immunological support unless one by chance consumes extraordinary amounts sweating out excessive salts or owning prior medical maladies leading deficiencies.. kind-of-obvious fact though, right?

Is There Anything Fishy Going On Here?

Some have raised questions about airborne tablets since it garners a predicate classification considered either as dietary supplement/nutriceutical rather than being an officially recognised treatment approach for any specific viral infection confirming its endorsement isn’t via traditional medical channels.

Additionally while it does contain some decent vitamins known during certain scientific studies to offer helpful outcomes yet there are medicine kits cheaper available that may do the same thing more effectively and without sneaky additional sugars (like Sorbitol) often found in Airborne which may yield practically unnoticeable effects whilst also intolerable responses such as; bloating, cramps, gas etc…

The truth remains somewhat hazy if this product actually works despite testimonials with no explicit claims made on their packaging as promise of intended outcome. Perhaps we’ll leave that up to each person themselves to determine? Talk about some good ol’ fashioned Ambiguities here people! 🤣

Verdict: To Take or Not To Take

At the end of the day whether you choose to take airborne tablets when feeling under-the-weather is completely yours alone determining based upon your own subjective assessment balancing its potential risks and benefits – never forgetting readily available evidence-based choices nearby possibly biologically stronger than mere overpriced vitamins/salts which lacks requisite medical research for prevalence, determinacy and incidence of a sole antecedent factor impacting disease pathology.

So there you have it! Our analysis of the interesting collection of ingredients in airborne tablets complete with some curious musings turns out to be building mystery, go figure… Who knew those little colorful pills had so much controversy surrounding them?

Don’t worry though we won’t judge either way whether you choose to use or skip using these semi-mystical supplements. Until science catches up maybe just stick with good ol’ fashion red wine eh?

Cheers! 🥂