The Latest, Greatest, And Best-est At Fighting Colds?

This coupon caught my eye in yesterday's paper, and at first glance, sounded like a pretty good deal.

It's called Halo. And it's an OTC cold and flu preventer.

So, I decided to check it out. After all, it does have a nice website touting its safety and effectiveness at keeping you healthy this winter.

The idea is that you spray this stuff into your mouth three times a day. And when it gets to the back of your mouth, it forms a protective barrier to block germs -- then kills them with an ingredient called Cetylpyridinium chloride. Not only that, it kills 99.9 percent of airborne germs ... and the effect lasts for six hours.

Pretty good.

A couple of questions, though? While many germs are airborne, that doesn't mean they automatically get sucked into your mouth. How about your nose? Or your eyes?

Plus it seems like many germs are found on surfaces, which you then touch, and then transfer to yourself by rubbing your nose or eyes.

Can't germs be absorbed into your body through the membranes of the eyes and nose?

And what about this Cetylpyridinium chloride stuff? Well, it's not new. A quick Google search shows it's used in more than 100 OTC products including mouthwash and lozenges.

Then there is cost. About 10 bucks for 35 doses. At the recommended three times per day dosing regimen, that's about 11 days supply. And the winter is a tad longer than that.

Bottom line - this product's ad makes a good argument. But then again, it didn't convince me either. I don't think it's a magic bullet for health.

One main turn off for me was something in a release by a PR firm for Oasis Healthcare, the product's manufacturer:

About Oasis Consumer Healthcare
Oasis Consumer Healthcare, the maker of leading over-the-counter healthcare products for all ages, is owned by doctors, dentists, and scientists in America's medical capital, Cleveland, Ohio, home to such noted organizations as the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University. With science and innovation as our foundation, Oasis continues to put the latest science to work by creating leading edge products for the health and beauty market.

Okay, so it's owned by doctors, dentists, and scientists. And it's in Cleveland -- but... I think is purely a matter of opinion that Cleveland is America's medical capital. Besides, it doesn't say  those fine institutions endorsed this product -- they just happen to be in the same city in Ohio.

Heck, we've got the Broncos in our city. Keep winning, and I guarantee some happy people this winter. And happiness is proven to boost immunity.