Field Evaluation – NULLO®

By Keith Dunlap
Oct 17, 2007 – 5:54:33 PM

Nullo has been used in the medical industry for over 50 years; now, Monticello Drug Company offers its Nullo internal body deodorant to hunters to improve our chances at the quarry we so diligently seek, by reducing or eliminating internal human body odor. This product neutralizes odor from the inside, rather than suppressing odor from the outside like body sprays and deodorants would do.

Nullo comes in a caplet form, containing the active ingredient chlorophyllin copper complex, designed to control body odors from the inside out. While Nullo has been invaluable in the medical field for incontinent and colostomy patients, it has also been proven by bow hunters around the world to eliminate odor from their sweat. Unlike other products, which derive their chlorophyllin copper complex from the alfalfa leaf, Nullo uses a unique manufacturing process like no other.

How does it work you ask? ?Nullo’s primary ingredient, Chlorophyllin copper complex, causes a change in metabolism of odor-producing bacteria. This neutralizes the odorous gas in bacterial cultures. Thus, the odors of bodily wastes are dramatically reduced or eliminated.

Nullo is considered a dietary supplement. Chlorophyllin copper complex has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective. No adverse reactions with other medications have been found, however in a small percentage of cases, mild diarrhea was noted. For the best results, most people will take one caplet in the morning and one at night.

The dosage may vary with each individuals weight and diet. You may take up to three caplets per day – two in the morning, and one in the evening. Over the five-day period prior to the hunt, the body will absorb enough of the primary ingredient to neutralize body odor. Maintain the same dosage everyday throughout the hunting season. Nullo is water-soluble and will flush out of your system within 24 hours after you stop taking the product.

Nullo comes in 60 or 135 count caplets

Product Evaluation:
As I considered how to evaluate such a product that claims to reduce or eliminate human odor internally, I decided the best test of Nullo would be three-fold. My family’s opinion, my own personal experience, and hunting success in the whitetail woods would provide the three-fold evaluation I was after. I began by taking Nullo, as directed (two caplets per day) for a six-month period. I asked my family to note my “odors” for two weeks prior to starting the Nullo, and then to give their opinions during the six-month trial period.
While taking Nullo each day, I was very appreciative of the fact that a Nullo 100mg caplet is much smaller than another major brand with 60mg Chlorophyllin copper complex (see Figure 2 below). I don’t know about you, but I get tired of swallowing vitamins that are the size of horse pills! Nullo was a pleasant surprise.

Nullo caplet to the left of the dime, another brand is to the right of the dime.

One note of interest, taking Nullo will cause your stool to become green, that’s right?green. I was assured that this is normal, and it simply indicates that Nullo is working in your body. If you stop taking Nullo for a couple of days, your stool color will return to normal.

Family opinion and personal experience: First, let me mention that I did not consider myself to have a body odor problem, but I was open to the opinions of those closest to me?my wife and kids. This would be a very subjective test, to say the least, and one I was hesitant to try with my ego at stake (who wants to be told that they stink?). Essentially, I had to rely on my family to indicate to me if they saw a difference in my body odor before taking Nullo, and after taking Nullo for a six-month period. I also relied on my own personal experiences.

Admittedly, I was skeptical about the idea of eliminating odor from the inside of the human body, and I wish there was a smell-o-meter for evaluating a product like this one, but I had to rely on human opinion for the results. I was surprised, however, at the results. Overwhelmingly, my family indicated to me that Nullo had made a difference in the way I smell, or the lack of smell in this case. They mentioned that they did not smell me nearly as much as they normally do when I’ve been working/sweating, and my wife has indicated a number of times that my breath is “more tolerable” than it had been prior to using Nullo. I noticed that my foot odor was not nearly as intense after a long day at work or hiking in the woods, and that my deodorant had less work to do in the underarm area to keep me odor free.

Hunting success: The best method I know to evaluate a product that claims to eliminate human odor is to test it on the best noses available — whitetails. I have to say, this is also a subjective test since I already follow all the rules of human scent elimination (scent-free showers, scent-free deodorants and toothpastes, carbon scent-blocking clothing, etc).

What I can attest to is the fact that I had more whitetails downwind of me during this early part of the PA whitetail bow season than I can remember in my recent past. Every time I’ve climbed into my stand thus far, it seems the wind shifts to the wrong direction and I have deer approaching me from downwind. The good news is that not one of them has detected me and given the usual snort and stomping of their hoof. I’ve had early season success (see figure 3 below) and I’ve had plenty of opportunities thus far, and I’ve let some deer walk since there is plenty of deer season ahead.

In my opinion, scent elimination and scent control are all about giving you that extra advantage while hunting, and giving you confidence in your ability to get close to your quarry without them smelling you. Nullo has provided this extra advantage for me this year.