Forget diamond-infused face creams and antioxidant-packed potions. The real secret to stop the aging process? Fresh air—in a fancy can, that is! That's what people were saying after Simon Cowell showed up on the red carpet with a few cans of inhalable oxygen. In addition to giving him a youthful glow, Cowell says the small bottles of gas help him manage stress, fatigue, and even the urge to smoke.
Do they work?
Quite the opposite. "This is a great way to accelerate aging!" says Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., a nutritional biochemist and author of The Vigor Diet, The New Science of Feeling Your Best. Introducing concentrated oxygen is likely to increase free radical generation, he says. Why is that bad? "Too much free radical damage can lead to wrinkled skin, stiff joints, elevated fatigue, memory problems, and a host of other chronic conditions associated with aging."
Dr. Dan Giuglianotti, osteopathic physician and creator of The Lean You, adds that while oxygen shots are said to boost mental agility, help with fatigue, and reduce headaches, the research just isn't there to support these claims. "From a medical standpoint, at best any perceived benefits of oxygen shots would last for mere seconds," he says.
Are they safe?
"Our lungs get us as much oxygen as we need," Dr. Brar says. "Oxygen, while essential to life, can be toxic in excessive doses, where it can actually cause cell damage. More is not always better."
Final verdict: Deny it.
