Liquid Oxygen is the name of a product that is a solution of hydrogen peroxide[1] and other compounds including sodium chloride (common salt)[2][3] that claims to help with "jet lag, fatigue, altitude sickness, headaches, hangovers, youthful skin, energy, and insomnia".[2][4] Ken Harvey, a member of the World Health Organisation team that formulated criteria for the promotion of medicinal drugs and a member of Auspharm Consumer Health Watch, states that the product is "no more than salty water", and that most forms of water carry some dissolved oxygen.[3] Since oxygen becomes a liquid only below −182.96°C consumption of actual liquid oxygen would be highly ill-advised. The Federal Trade Commission has prosecuted purveyors of such products for making "blatantly false and unsubstantiated health claims".[5]
The product claims to have an effect through increasing the amount of oxygen in the body but this is unnecessary as oxygen is absorbed by the lungs via breathing.[3] Consumption of hydrogen peroxide is associated with various risks. Airlines including Continental and EasyJet have sold this product on board their planes despite the fact that hydrogen peroxide was believed to be a key ingredient in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot.[1]