Vitamins Before Flying? Do They Work and Are They Paleo?

On a flight this morning, the passenger next to me popped an ‘Airborne’ brand tablet.  Another person emptied a sachet of ‘Emergen-C’ brand powder into their water.

Do they really do anything?

And are either of those products Paleo?

Well, no to the second question, hands down.

Airborne contains sorbitol (remember this good old additive?  The sugar alcohol often used as a binding agent that also is indicated for laxative use?), artifical flavor, mineral oil, acesulfame potassium (Nutrasweet… great!) and sucralose (Splenda, since the Nutrasweet wasn’t enough), while Emergen-C contains both tapioca derivatives as well as soy.

Whether or not taking vitamins or supplements immediately before a flight does anything, I cannot prove one way or the other.  I can say that if you follow the Paleo diet, you’re already getting tons of antioxidants in food form, which is always superior to a pill or a powder.

However, the placebo effect is not to be ignored, so if you feel you must ‘take something’ before you fly, I’d opt for making a little Paleo ‘Sickness-Prevention’ Concoction at home of water, raw leaves (you know I’m going to suggest kale), raw garlic, turmeric (a natural anti inflammatory), fresh oregano (a natural anti microbial) and a green bell pepper (higher in vitamin C than citrus fruits!), all whizzed in a blender and chugged down quickly.

Keep hydrated, wash your hands and you’ll have done everything you can to best prevent catching nasty cold and flu bugs, above and beyond the strong immune system you’ve already built for yourself by being Paleo!