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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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