Q: I recently heard about something called NOXO that’s supposed to help protect you from the flu when sprayed in the flu when sprayed in the air around you. Could this work?
A It’s pretty unlikely — and pretty impractical. For this stuff to work, you’d need to constantly spray it around you so that each vapor of spray destroyed each flu particle flying through the air. And while NOXO has natural oils (like tea tree oil) that may have some antiviral properties, there’s little evidence to prove this is the case. I certainly wouldn’t rely on it to prevent the flu. Instead, you should wash your hands as much as possible (or use hand sanitizer) and, obviously, keep them out of your eyes and mouth. But your best defense is still the flu vaccine (and the H1N1 vaccine). They’re both safe, and everyone who can get one should get one.
—-
Email your questions for Dr. Bob Arnot to dr.bob@mensjournal.com.
This article originally appeared in the December 2009/January 2010 issue of Men’s Journal.
Print this article
December 16th, 2009 at 6:43 am
Hhmm…NOXO, interesting….but I still believe in washing hands often and bringing a sanitizer in my bag when I go out is more effective. Plus I take loads of vitamin c, (sodium ascorbate), this is the non-acidic type. This helps to boost my immune system.
[Reply]
January 29th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Personally what works for me aside from frequent hand washing and taking the flu shots is….loading up on vitamin c, eating fruits and raw veggies, plus good sleeping habits.
When we lack sleep, the body becomes stressed and is prone to viruses and bacteria. Plus regular exercise tends to strengthens the immune system, so overall it’s quite a challenge to be healthy nowadays.
[Reply]
December 20th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Your body makes around 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily in less than half an hour of midday sun – if you’re white – your mileage may vary if your black or have higher level of pigmentation. Vitamin D3, a naturally made substance, has a direct role in the immune system.
We make it from cholesterol in our bodies from sunlight (not behind glass sunlight) Ever wondered why get more colds flu and sniffles in the winter? Lack of sunlight does not help.
We can’t get enough sun in the winter obviously, so the only alternative is to perhaps for very short periods of perhaps five minutes, use a sun lamp or take some vitamin D3 daily.
If you are thinking of getting vitamin D3 prescribed (you can buy it cheaper in shops), make sure it’s the vitamin D3 kind, and not the cheaper varieties.
Doubtless when the importance of vitamin D3 starts filtering through to the headlines and media in a few years (some has already), I’ll be one of the first to exhort “Oh, you don’t say!”
[Reply]