A year ago, the Federal Trade Commission sued two health supplement manufacturers to force them to stop claiming that their versions of "Vitamin O" prevent or treat life-threatening diseases, which they said had been proved by "medical and scientific research."
The companies agreed to pay $375,000 in fines and stop claiming Vitamin O "or a substantially similar product" prevents or effectively treats such serious illnesses as cancer, cardiovascular disease and pulmonary disease. They also promised to stop falsely claiming that medical or scientific research had validated those claims, since they never had.
Never heard of Vitamin O, a product that sells for as much as $10 an ounce and is so popular that one of the several companies that produce it sold about 60,000 vials a month?
Well, the labels explain what it is: stabilized oxygen molecules in a solution of distilled water and sodium chloride. Robert Park, author of "VooDoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud," last month gave the Buffalo News an entertaining summary of his view of that:
"In other words, it's salt water. At any solubility, the recommended dose would provide far less oxygen than you get in a single deep breath.
"The ad may be a cynical and apparently successful attempt to mislead, but for the most part, it is truthful. It says the product is safe. What could be safer? It says oxygen is good for you. You certainly can't live without it. It says Vitamin O provides you with oxygen. I suppose it does, but in an amount that is totally insignificant. Fish can extract the oxygen from water, but they don't get it by swallowing water.
"No warm-blooded creature survives without breathing air. An attempt to extract the oxygen you need from water is called 'drowning.' "
Not all the "Vitamin O" manufacturers add table salt. Some add hydrogen peroxide which, by the way, sells for less than 50 cents a bottle almost anywhere. Table salt's pretty cheap, too.
It's possible that Vitamin O does, indeed, have some health benefits. I don't know. And I won't know until someone provides scientific research showing those benefits. But when I asked one manufacturer's spokesman for the research he claimed existed, I was told "it is confidential." A reader who first called it to my attention was told the same thing.
I have no doubt it has, at a minimum, a worthwhile placebo effect. If people who take Vitamin O feel better, then far be it from me to tell them not to do it — unless, of course, they have life-threatening illnesses for which treatment is being deferred, leading to further damage.
And I'll tell you up front that I believe a great many natural supplements really help people. I support the right of individuals to use products, and I was happy to see the FDA can't control natural supplements. I know doctors who recommend certain products to clients, in addition to "traditional medicine." The use of herbs, minerals and other natural supplements is becoming increasingly recognized as providing valid benefits.
I was also thrilled that natural supplement companies are barred from making any claim that pops into their heads, without having to prove it.
If people want to buy "Vitamin O" because it makes them feel better, more power to them. But claims that a product can strengthen the immune system or cure a potentially fatal disease are a different matter. Maybe it is a miracle cure. If it is, it can stand up to scientific study.
And I'm appalled by what happened to a local gentleman — a well-educated, kind and intelligent man — who complained to a "Vitamin O" manufacturer about such claims and who took the time to warn his favorite health-food store about the financial risks of promoting unproven product claims, based on actions the FTC has taken in such cases.
In the store, he received a shrill dressing down. Unbelievably, he felt bad about upsetting the person who had berated him publicly. He liked that individual. So he even wrote a note of apology. Me? I'd have organized a store boycott after that customer-service blunder.
Somehow, in the process of asking questions, either in the store or of one of the many Vitamin O manufacturers, he also unleashed a hateful spate of postcards, letters and abusive phone calls.
One genius responsible for the nasty defense of "Vitamin O" told him if he'd done his research, his energy "could have been exerted in a positive direction and flow instead of showing idiotcy (sic), as you show!!!"
That's certainly a positive, life-affirming message. And potential poster-child material for Vitamin O's claim that it improves intelligence, "quickly heightens concentration and alertness" and "has a calming effect on the nervous system."
Deseret News staff writer Lois M. Collins may be reached by e-mail at lois@desnews.com