DON’T EAT BORAX: New Toxic TikTok Trend is Very Dangerous…
WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT!!!
Maybe you remember the life-threatening Tide Pod Challenge of 2018, in which people were dared to eat the laundry detergent, leading to several deaths.
Now there’s an “insane” new online trend that might be even more dangerous: consuming borax, a laundry powder and pesticide.
A handful of TikTok videos show people “jumping on the borax train” by adding the white powder to smoothies or coffee as a way to ease the symptoms of arthritis, lupus or other health issues.
FYI! Borax is a poisonous compound and should never be eaten says every expert and doctor everywhere!
“Borax consumption has been recently popularized on TikTok as a way to treat inflammation, but … there is no evidence that swallowing borax has any human health benefits,” says a toxicology doc.
WHAT IS BORAX!
Borax is a naturally occurring compound, often known as sodium borate, that contains the elements boron, sodium, oxygen and hydrogen. Borax can be mined from dried lake beds.
For years, people have used borax as a laundry additive, a pesticide, a household cleanser, an herbicide and to unclog drains. It can also be found in some paints, acne products and specialty oral care products, according to WebMD. (It can be safe when used topically and not swallowed.)
It’s unclear how “the borax train” became an online trend, but some sources cite the work of researcher Rex Newnham, who published work in the 1990s advocating that boron (not borax) was an essential mineral lacking from many diets.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF BORAX?
It’s known to be dangerous when ingested. It can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin flushing, rash, excitation, convulsions, depression and vascular collapse, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“Boron toxicity can also cause headache, hypothermia, restlessness, weariness, renal injury, dermatitis, alopecia, anorexia and indigestion. In infants, high boron intakes have caused anemia, seizures, erythema and thin hair,” the NIH added.
“Extremely high doses of boron can be fatal; for example, 15,000 to 20,000 mg can cause death in adults.”
SO STOP IT!
