The FDA's proposed banning of a key ingredient found in many best-selling over-the-counter cold remedies, has caused the nation's largest drugstore chains to scramble to find natural alternatives on the eve of what is predicted to be one of the most arduous cold seasons in recent years.

The timing could not be more opportune for one California second grade teacher, whose product, AIRBORNE, a natural cold remedy she created to stay healthy in the classroom, has just gone national.

Major drug retailers like Walgreens, Albertsons, Rite Aid, and Eckerd's have begun removing best-selling cold remedies like Contac, Dimetapp, and Tavist-D from their shelves. These products all contain phenylpropanolamine or PPA, an ingredient believed to increase the risk of stroke, according to a Yale University study being rushed for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Consumers, already facing a predicted shortage of the Flu vaccine, are now having to turn to less well known natural cold remedy alternatives which do not contain PPA. Among the products filling the vacuum of shelf space is AIRBORNE, a natural cold remedy created by Victoria Knight-McDowell, a Salinas, California second grade school teacher. AIRBORNE is already enjoying record-breaking popularity in California, where it is has grown largely by word of mouth. The product, which was created to protect school teachers from catching colds in class, has grown from distribution in one small Carmel drug store in 1998 to over 6,000 stores including WALGREEN'S, OSCO, SAV-ON, LONGS DRUGS, TRADER JOES and ACME MARKETS.

AIRBORNE has also been embraced by the Hollywood community and lists such notables a Kevin Costner, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Matthew Broderick as among its most enthusiastic users. AIRBORNE uses a natural combination of organic herbal extracts, amino acids, antioxidants, and electrolytes in one orange-flavored effervescent tablet. If taken at the first sign of a cold symptom, it purports to get rid of most colds in one hour or money back. It retails for $6.99 and can also be purchased over the internet at AirborneHealth.com or by calling 800-590-9794.

(From BW Healthware)