Vitamin O Uses

In reality, nutrition experts and medical practitioners do not recognize a Vitamin O. While there is no such thing as a Vitamin O, there is a product named Vitamin O produced by Rose Creek Health Products Inc. and The Staff of Life Inc., both owned by Donald L. Smyth. Vitamin O claims to be a liquid saline solution from the ocean that can cure or prevent a vast array of ailments by adding oxygen to the body. The Federal Trade Commission brought suit against the makers of Vitamin O, contending that Vitamin O's manufacturers had made false and unsubstantiated claims about the product. Vitamin O's makers agreed to pay a $375,000 cash settlement and stop making false statements about the product.

Claims

• The makers of Vitamin O claim that the "supplement" can cure asthma, ear infections, fatigue, glaucoma, hemorrhoids, memory loss, obesity, prostate problems, diabetic ulcers, heart disease and more.

Oxygen and Disease

• Although a lack of oxygen to the body can certainly pose a medical problem, lack of oxygen is not the cause of any diseases. Because oxygen deficiency does not cause disease, it also can not cure disease.

Water

• According to the Vitamin O FAQ site, mixing Vitamin O with any liquid other than water will cause "the oxygen to dissipate [too] quickly," thus preventing you from receiving any benefit. Mixing Vitamin O with water, however, is said to be acceptable. The problem with this claim, according to Stephen Barrett, M.D., is that "a human would need gills" to access any oxygen found in water.

The Lungs

• The lungs are the only organ capable of taking oxygen into the body. Drinking otherwise orally ingesting oxygen would mean that the oxygen would pass through the digestive system, which has no way of getting oxygen into the body.

Similar Products

• At the time of the settlement in the case against Vitamin O, the Federal Trade Commission was preparing to identify and bring suit against other manufacturers making similar products and claims.