Drinking borax helps inflammation and joint pain

Question

This claim was made due to an internet trend that started up in the summer of 2023. There was in influx of people on social media providing the misinformation that drinking borax could help medical ailments such as inflammation and joint pain. This claim is obviously false, as borax is a chemical toxin, and can be deadly if ingested. The original poster of the account does not seem to be spreading this information with bad intention, but it is a dangerous narrative. I looked this trend up and found that it made its way onto many different news sources to advise people to stop. 

Article from NBC News

Article from Healthline News

Article from Medical News Today 

Comments

This claim is a little jarring at first because of the chemical borax in itself however after seeing your sites etc. I am very impressed by all of the linked material and how credible they are along with your paragraph attached disclaiming how it can be harmful I found that very professional and helpful. Overall great job!

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I knew as soon as I read the claim that people think Borax can help with inflammation and joint pain, that it was false. Obviously Borax is a poison and is classified as such along with it being a chemical. Great use of sources with some of the highest trustworthy and truthful websites.

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I agree with your fact check.  It’s scary how misinformation like this can spread so quickly. Borax is toxic and should never be ingested. It's good you found reliable sources like NBC News and Healthline to back up your findings.

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While your claim was very well done along with strong supportive sources, I do not understand why the title claim is the completely opposite. The claim clearly described the situation, the background story, and the reasoning. The four attached sources each served a different purpose. The two news reports provided the true facts about drinking borax and the negative influences of social media, and the source about the uses and risks of borax helped to point the reader the correct direction to do more research. And the TikTok source represented the false information spread by social media.

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Borax is very toxic and harmful to consume and the trend spread on social media of consuming borax, and people believed it. This statement has good sources to back the evidence of how social media is able to spread misinformation rapidly and get users to believe it.

Answer 1

Borax, also known as sodium borate, is a chemical compound that is commonly used in household cleaning products, laundry detergents, and as a pesticide. Despite some claims on the internet, borax is not an approved or safe treatment for inflammation and or joint pain. There is not specific evidence to support its efficacy in treating these conditions, and using borax in this manner can be dangerous. Borax can be toxic if ingested or improperly inhaled, leading to serious health problems, and even poising. It is important to use existing and truthful medical facts to support such a dangerous claim before pushing it to such a large easily influenced audience.

Answer 2

The use of borax to help with inflammation and joints is false. 

Borax is a hazardous chemical if ingested into the human body. In July of 2023, it became a TikTok trend that ultimately led people to believe it cured joint pain. From Medical News Today, Dr. Debra Rose Wilson informs the public that if Borax is orally ingested, it could cause extreme organ failure and possibly death. Borax is not to be used other than for your laundry, folks.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324167

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/drinking-borax-tiktok-trend-medical-authorities-debunk-rcna95526

Answer 3

The claim that drinking borax helps with inflammation and joint pain is definitively false and dangerous. The claim originated from TikTok videos in summer 2023, gaining significant attention despite its serious health risks. Multiple credible institutions and experts have spoken out against this practice, including Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a toxicology physician and co-medical director at the National Capital Poison Center, who explicitly states "There's really nothing to support the use of borax in humans for inflammation or reduction of oxidative stress or anything like that." Reputable organizations including the National Capital Poison Center, FDA, Medical News Today, Healthline News, and NBC News all confirm the dangers of ingesting borax. The origin of this misconception appears to stem from some TikTok creators misinterpreting research about boron being "an essential nutrient for healthy bones and joints." However, while boron is naturally obtained through fruits and vegetables, borax is a toxic formulation that the FDA has banned from food products. The evidence overwhelmingly shows that ingesting borax can cause immediate effects like stomach irritation, blue-green vomit, and diarrhea, as well as long-term consequences including anemia, seizures, and potentially fatal outcomes such as kidney failure, shock, and death. This dangerous trend appears to stem from a fundamental misunderstanding that confuses a natural nutrient (boron) with a toxic cleaning product (borax), highlighting the importance of consulting medical professionals rather than social media for health advice.

Sources - https://www.poison.org/articles/can-borax-treat-inflammation

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/drinking-borax-tiktok-trend-medical-authorities-debunk-rcna95526

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/drinking-borax-can-be-deadly-people-are-doing-it-on-tiktok-anyway

Answer 4

The claim that drinking borax helps inflammation and joint pain is entirely false. 

This false statement about borax arose on social media platform TikTok which in itself is not an official news source; this can lead to the spread of inaccurate and potentially harmful information. About half of U.S. adults who obtain news from TikTok report they sometimes see inaccurate news on TikTok, according to Pew Research Center. Recognizing where this rumor arose from is helpful to determining the accuracy of this medical advice.

Before believing this medical claim, it’s also important to know what exactly your body would be digesting. Borax is a powdery substance used for laundry and everyday cleaning; for the purpose of its use, borax contains harsh chemicals. As stated by the National Capital Poison Center, ingesting borax can lead to stomach and skin irritation and when ingested over a longer period of time, can cause anemia and seizures. Additionally, the NCPC asks consumers of borax to seek help from Poison Control, which is a sign that borax is extremely dangerous and should never be handled improperly in the first place. 

Considered alone, the hazards of borax is enough evidence to debunk this claim that ingestion of borax is good for you and can reduce consumers’ pain. Yet, I’d still like to point out the fact that this rumor seemingly derived from the fact that borax is a boron containing compound; people have begun to believe that boron has beneficial health effects such that it is anti-inflammatory and relieves joint pain, as stated in this rumor. However, NCPC warns us that there is not enough proper research that boron has these health benefits, which helps support the fact that this claim is false information. 

Articles: 

https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/06/12/tiktok-users-experiences-with-news/ 

https://www.poison.org/articles/can-borax-treat-inflammation