Zarbee’s: Is It Really Safe For Your Little One?

Zarbee’s is a drug-free supplement with no alcohol or artificial ingredients. It’s not an FDA-approved medication but parents who use it find it somehow effective in dealing with their little one’s cold and flu symptoms, such as cough, dry throat, and irritation. If you’re using it, read the label carefully to know all the ingredients used, and ask your doctor if it’s something you can feed your little one. 

Cold and cough are common among children, but when it comes to finding a good chemical and drug-free medicine for them can be challenging. Enter Zarbee’s; inspired by nature, and they commit to being effective drug-free products to keep kids healthy and happy.

Their cough products are known to be honey-based and include vitamin C and zinc while eliminating things like alcohol, drugs, and any added artificial flavors.

Though many parents consider Zarbee’s products the holy grail for their children, let’s see the ingredients involved and their product range in more detail to understand why parents prefer to do so!

How do Zarbee’s products help children?

With the changing weather, we all know how difficult it is to protect our children from getting the common flu and dealing with cough, dry throat, and stuffy nose.

The US Food and Drug Administration has warned that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, including antihistamines, decongestants, anti-tussive, and expectorants, should not be administered to children younger than 2 years of age. 

It’s not only proved non-effective but also has safety concerns regarding it. 

But when it comes to Zarbee’s products, they have a whole range of products to help deal with each different issue based on whether it’s a day or night.

Their range of products includes:

  1. Child cough products help deal with hoarseness, dry throat, and irritants for age groups 2-6 years old or 6-12 years old.
  2. Baby cough products help soothe baby’s cough due to hoarseness, dry throat, and irritants for 12-24 month-year-olds.
  3. Child immune products have ingredients that help support your child’s immune system needs in the age group 2 plus years.
  4. Baby immune support and vitamins supplement for 2-plus months old babies.
  5. Child probiotics products help promote and maintain your child’s intestinal health for 2 years.
  6. Baby probiotic drops aid digestion and provide immune support from when your baby is born.
  7. Child sleep products that aid in providing restful sleep for your little one in a safe and drug-free manner for ages 3 plus years.
  8. Baby calming products that help babies relax and prepare them for nap or bedtime with calming lavender or chamomile scents for newborns and plus. 
  9. Child vitamin products help support a child’s health and fill nutritional gaps with ingredients inspired by nature for 2 plus years. 
  10. Baby vitamin D supplements provide safe and adequate vitamins and minerals to support the health of your little one. 

What are Zarbee’s products’ ingredients?

Regarding their products, Zarbee’s makes sure they use natural ingredients and are considered healthy for consumption, so it’s more of a holistic approach. 

They use a variety of products but in different quantities and for different products. Their ingredients include:

Honey

A jar of honey on a table

Most of their products contain honey as a main ingredient, and it’s because it helps reduce nighttime coughing and improves sleep. In one study, children ages 1 to 5 with upper respiratory tract infections were given up to 2 teaspoons of honey at bedtime. 

Honey is considered to be effective as a common cough suppressant ingredient. 

However, you shouldn’t give raw, unpasteurized honey to babies less than a year old, and it could risk infant botulism, a rare but severe form of food poisoning.

Agave

A few agave plants are shown planted in a garden

Just like honey, agave helps coat the throat with its thickness and thus prevents irritation, scratching, and itching followed by a cough. 

It’s also a replacement in Zarbee’s products for babies below a year old in turn of honey. 

Although there’s no confirmation that it does help with clearing up of throat or settling down the coughing fit in children, the placebo effect and the taste of nectar may help with cough in children. 

Elderberry

A woman is holding a big container of elderberry

Elderberry extract is supposed to have antiviral activity as well as anti-inflammatory activity. It helps reduce the time one suffers from cold and flu symptoms and helps strengthen the immune system. 

Zarbee’s mostly use them in their immune-boosting products as this extract is packed with nutrients and anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant. Also, containing vitamins A, B, and C keeps the body healthy. 

Other ingredients are as follows:

Ingredients:Details:
Turmeric root extractTurmeric is an herb in the ginger family that’s often used as a spice in cooking. Turmeric root extract contains curcumin, which is known for its antioxidant properties.
Marshmallow root extractA perennial herb native to Europe and Western Asia has been studied for its ability to support a healthy respiratory system.
English Ivy leaf extractEnglish Ivy is a woody, evergreen climbing plant native to Europe and Asia. The extract supports the respiratory system by helping clear mucus when coughing due to hoarseness, dry throat, and irritants.
Vitamin EVitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient that acts as an antioxidant and helps protect our cells from free radicals. Vitamin E also has properties that help support the immune system. 
ZincZinc supplements are essential mineral that supports our immune systems. Zinc supplements increase helper T cells in adults and help support children’s respiratory systems.
CholecalciferolVitamin D3 is a fat-soluble ingredient that can be absorbed and stored in the body. The ingredient has been shown to support the immune system and the development of healthy bones and teeth.
ThymeCommonly used to flavor foods, thyme leaf flowers, leaves, and essential oils are also used to support the respiratory system. At the right amounts, Thyme Leaf Extract has also been shown to help support the respiratory system.


Is Zarbee’s a medication?

At first glance, any product of Zarbee’s might seem like some cough syrup or medication that is recommended widely. But it’s not a medication as it’s not FDA-approved.

In 2014, the FDA warned Zarbee’s for making therapeutic claims regarding a dietary supplement product. According to their advertisement, it seemed as if they were establishing their products to be used as a cure, mitigation, treatment, or disease prevention.

Following those orders, they received another evaluation in 2018, and after seeing their corrective measures, the FDA let them off the hook but not wholly. They are still under strict monitoring, for they again decide to market their products as a medication.

So, they’re supplements and cannot be considered a medication to cure cold and cough symptoms.

CDC recommends that children younger than 4 years old shouldn’t be given any cold and cough medication, so Zarbee’s doesn’t contain any ingredients like other OTC cough syrups. 

FAQs

How often can I give my child Zarbee’s cough syrup?

It depends on the age of your little one, which determines the dosage of any cough syrup.

When giving Zarbee’s supplement to a child between 2-6, give one tsp (5 mL). Stay under 2 servings per 24 hours.

For babies from 12-24 months old, giving 3 mL is fine, and the dosage shouldn’t exceed 4 times a day.

Is Zarbee’s melatonin safe for kids?

While melatonin is not recommended for kids giving them Zarbee’s melatonin should be fine as it’s drug-free and non-habit-forming melatonin gummy.

To summarise

Although Zarbee’s products are popular amongst parents to deal with their little one’s flu symptoms, there’s still a need to get approval from a doctor before you start using them. 

Also, the parents must read the label carefully and see all the ingredients used to make a particular product. Always stick to the dosage recommended. 

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As a writer for 1happykiddo, Saumya wants to help new parents and older siblings help raise the newest member added to the family. Her parenting tips come from her experience of being 15 years older than her youngest sibling. When not writing, you can find her reading novels, traveling, and cooking nutritious meals.

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