A Viral Trend Has People Ingesting Laundry Detergent To Help Their Joint Pain—Here’s What a Doctor Has To Say
TikTok has long been the home of questionable health trends, and the latest one involves people eating and drinking scoops of laundry detergent because it contains borax. Borax is a salt that contains a combination of boron, sodium, oxygen and hydrogen, and TikTokers are sure it will heal ailments like joint pain and menstrual cramps. Some even think it can treat cancer.
The thinking behind this trend comes from research conducted on boron, in which a small amount of borax was used to treat arthritis. But medical professionals agree that adding scoops of laundry detergent to tea or sprinkling it on top of oatmeal isn't a good idea for your health. Here's what to know about this trend, and why you should definitely steer clear of it.
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Is Any Amount of Borax Good for You?
The short answer is no: No amount of borax is good for you, and there is no health-related reason to ingest it. Boron is a naturally occurring salt mineral found in seasonal lakebeds. Boron is found in a variety of foods including beans, potatoes and legumes, and it is an ingredient in borax.
"Borax is used in a variety of products from household cleaners and detergents to cosmetics and even pesticides," explains internal medicine physician Dr. Robert S. Miller, MD. "Current available data on the health benefits of borax is sparse, and currently there is no current FDA approval for medical therapy and treatment using borax. Smaller observational studies suggest borax efficacy in the treatment of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and cancer therapy, but there is no current clinical trial data to support these claims."
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Can Consuming Borax Be Dangerous?
Yes, consuming borax can absolutely be dangerous. "Current FDA guidelines recommend against ingestion of borax," Dr. Miller emphasizes. "Ingestion of borax at high doses may result in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, kidney injury, skin rashes and eye irritation."
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And, consuming borax in very high amounts can be toxic and even lethal. "Current manufacturing practices and guidelines make borax ingestion highly dangerous," Dr. Miller says. "Limited data is available to support a standardized normal level of borax that people should consume, and current FDA guidelines do not recommend borax as a food additive."
Long story short: borax is an ingredient used in household cleaners, detergents and pesticides. It was never meant for ingestion, can be very dangerous when consumed and the very limited research on it does not show any worthwhile health benefits. Plus, is there any way it actually tastes good? We certainly don't think so.
Sources
Essentiality of Boron for Healthy Bones and Joints. Rex E. Newman.
Dr. Robert S. Miller, MD, internal medicine physician.
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