Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to supplemental oxygen.

Boost Oxygen is a supplemental oxygen product that is inhaled through a can, and was featured on Shark Tank. The brand claims that their product provides “all-natural respiratory support,” and that it’s used by athletes and by those experiencing poor air quality, among other groups.

But is supplemental oxygen safe? Is it shown in clinical trials to have any health benefits? What does a respiratory therapist have to say about this product? And what ingredients are used in the flavored versions?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we review clinical studies to give our take on whether or not supplemental oxygen is safe and health-promoting.

We'll also highlight some questionable health claims on the Boost Oxygen website, share our concerns about the flavoring additives in Boost Oxygen, and share a video from a respiratory therapist discussing Boost Oxygen.

Key takeaways:

• Boost Oxygen does not use medical-grade oxygen
• Lacking information about flavoring which we think is dangerous
• We do not currently recommend Boost Oxygen

Does Supplemental O2 Improve Health?

Supplemental oxygen is typically administered in medical settings to treat severely ill patients, such as those with advanced respiratory infections or pulmonary diseases.

We cannot identify a single clinical trial showing that supplemental oxygen benefits otherwise healthy adults.

A clinical trial published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal examined the effects of supplemental oxygen for recovery in athletes, and reported no benefit.

A 1989 clinical trial found similar results: athletes who received supplemental oxygen experienced no improvements in recovery or exercise performance.

As medical research documents, supplemental oxygen is useful when a patient is experiencing low levels of oxygen in blood. This should be resolved with medical treatment and monitoring, not with a canister purchased online.

Put simply, we do not understand the purpose or value of this product whatsoever, and the product quality concerns us.

As Boost Oxygen’s own website details, medical grade oxygen is over 99% pure oxygen, while Boost Oxygen is only 95% pure oxygen and is categorized as “recreational” oxygen.

Again – why does anyone need “recreational” oxygen? We’re truly confused by this brand.

Questionable Health Claims

On the “Information” section of Boost Oxygen’s website, the brand publishes blog posts suggesting that their products can be effective for treating a number of health conditions.

One blog article, title shown below, suggests with zero medical evidence or citations that supplemental oxygen can soothe inflamed airways resulting in easier breathing, and “makes sense” for those with flu or cold:

This is unsafe, and this is a disease claim, which is regulated. 

We urge the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate these claims because it’s concerning that a brand is making entirely unsubstantiated disease claims about their product.

In another blog article, Boost Oxygen suggests, without any medical citations, that “supplemental oxygen like Boost Oxygen” makes sense for those experiencing shortness of breath.

We would urge patients experiencing shortness of breath to report these symptoms to a doctor or urgent care facility, because this can be a sign of serious health conditions.

In the same article, the brand states that “there is only 21% oxygen in the air we breathe,” and “the majority is useless 78% nitrogen.”

We don’t understand what Boost Oxygen is suggesting by describing nitrogen as "useless." Humans evolved over millions of years breathing air just fine, without requiring portable canisters purchased online.

We hope that Boost Oxygen will remove these uncited health claims from their website and blog, and we consider this to be a huge red flag about the brand.

What’s in Boost Oxygen Flavors? No One Knows

Boost Oxygen not only sells canned oxygen, but also sells “flavored” versions of canned oxygen.

Again, why does someone need flavored oxygen? We’re unsure. 

But what concerns us is that at the time of updating this article, whatever chemical compounds are used to create the flavor or scent are not listed on the product pages on the brand's website, which is a consumer safety issue.

The product is sold in various flavors such as Pink Grapefruit, Menthol-Eucalyptus, Peppermint and more.

The lungs are a highly sensitive organ and we believe that directly inhaling undefined flavoring compounds would be a really bad idea.

We urge the brand to publish information on their product pages about how these flavors are created.

Respiratory Therapist on Boost Oxygen

One of the most popular YouTube reviews of Boost Oxygen from a medical expert is from a Respiratory Therapist (RT) named Jimmy McKanna.

He reviews whether Boost Oxygen actually delivers 95% oxygen as the label claims, and whether he thinks the product will have any benefits:

Boost Oxygen Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Mostly positive online reviews

Cons:

• We can't find clinical evidence supporting "recreational" oxygen
• Questionable health claims on brand's website
• Unclear who this product is for
• Unclear what flavoring ingredients are used
• Unclear if flavoring ingredients are safe to be inhaled

Conclusion

Boost Oxygen is not a product we recommend.

In fact, we're somewhat concerned about the use of this product, and would recommend getting its use cleared by a doctor.

We cannot identify any clinical evidence that healthy adults benefit from supplemental oxygen at the "recreational" quality level, nor that this level of purity is safe for long-term use.

While supplemental oxygen is used to treat severely ill patients, that’s done in medical settings like hospitals and with oxygen at a higher purity level than that sold by Boost Oxygen.

We do not understand the purpose or benefit of this product or brand whatsoever.

Boost Oxygen makes a number of highly questionable claims on their website and blog, including the suggestion that people experiencing shortness of breath (which can be sign of serious medical conditions) should buy their products.

This product is sold in a number of flavors, and the ingredients used to create these flavors are not published on the product pages at the time of updating this article. We strongly recommend that consumers avoid inhaling questionable flavoring compounds.