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 is a really good fact check, you really went in depth with the previous sources. Especially how this idea came about from a tiktok trend.

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indicating that this claim is false is a good practice of debunking "trends" and patterns of information distribution going around the media; especially when there could be health risks to following these trends. Even if someone is told to do this practice in order to combat a health issue, that doesn't mean it should be used for everyone with their health issues.

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I think you did a great job providing where the claim originated from. I think you did a good job including multiple sources to back up your evidence.

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good fact check I'm glad you brought up how dangerous this chemical can be. This debunks the claim that was made on tik tok

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This claim was made due to an online hoax 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.

Answer 1

This claim is not true. Borax is a "laundry booster and multi-purpose household cleaner" not meant for ingestion. Several reliable News sources such as FoodNetwork and NBC have warned against this trend and debunked its supposed health benefits. I find it concerning that people will believe random accounts on TikTok and other platforms without fact-checking first. The link provided above to a TikTok users account seems was most likely mis-information and not intended to harm viewers.

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

https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/news/should-you-drink-borax

Answer 2

The claim that borax helps with inflammation and joint pain is false. NBC News released an article on July 22nd, 2023 explaining that the TikTok trend could jeopardize people's health. In their article, they interview Johnson-Arbor, a toxicology physician and co-medical director at the National Capital Poison Center. During the interview, she explained that borax can cause stomach irritation and potentially result in green-blue vomit and diarrhea if ingested. (https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/drinking-borax-tiktok-trend-medical-authorities-debunk-rcna95526) 

Another article released by the National Capital Poison Center also explains that Borax is not made for human consumption. They also state that there is minimal evidence of Borax being an effective anti-inflammatory agent for humans. (https://www.poison.org/articles/can-borax-treat-inflammation)

AP News released an assessment on saying "Not only is there no evidence to support purported health benefits touted around the cleaning product, health experts say ingesting borax can be harmful or deadly to humans if swallowed." (https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-borax-cleaning-health-447072931634) 

Thus, this claim is false and Borax does not help with human joint pain and inflammatory pain. In fact, borax is dangerous for human consumption and can cause health problems if ingested. 

Answer 3

It is untrue that borax relieves joint pain and inflammation. In the summer of 2023, this notion became very popular on TikTok. The TikTok video that is connected to this post has no malicious purpose; it is only designed to be helpful. However, because borax is a chemical that is used in cleaning products, this content might be harmful to readers. It has been said that many think borax is safe to consume because it is a naturally occurring material. When taking borax long-term, the side effects might include diarrhea, anemia, vomiting fits, and stomach aches. One of the stories referenced in this piece describes how someone used an academic publication. A few reasons exist for some of the research findings, such as the fact that those who consumed higher doses of borax had 0–10% arthritis and had tougher bones than those who did not. Another version said that rats were being utilized, and the rodents' advantage from borax was evident if they developed arthritis.

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

Answer 4

The claim that borax reduces inflammation and relieves joint pain lacks evidence. It gained popularity on TikTok in 2023, but it is important to acknowledge that this post can harm viewers as borax is a chemical found in cleaning products. Ingesting borax can lead to negative effects such as stomach irritation, vomiting, seizures, anemia, and diarrhea. The post misinterprets a 1994 academic paper and experiments on rats, which emphasized the need for further investigation. A separate TikTok video by a Doctor in Pediatric Emergency Medicine warns against using borax due to its potential harm to the kidneys. The doctor also emphasizes that excessive consumption of any substance can be detrimental to health and that borax is not suitable for internal use.

Sources

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

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

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7889887/

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCy5LLwkSev6OBd-6EnBf_Ow 

Answer 5

The claim that "Drinking borax helps inflammation and joint pain" is completely false. Medical News Today stated "Borax is not safe to ingest". But to back this up I did some simple research and found why this was a claim and why it is false. This claim appears to have started on Tik Tok where people were trying to say that it has positive side effects on the body. NBC wrote an article about this Tik Tok trend and brought in professional expertise. DR. Johnson-Arbor, "Borax, she said, can cause stomach irritation and potentially result in blue-green vomit or diarrhea if ingested. Over time, it can cause anemia and seizures, she said, and that soaking in borax could cause rashes that make the skin appear as bright pink as a boiled lobster and start to fall off." So after finding out why this was a claim and researching it, its safe to say that it is false information.

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

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324167#:~:text=Borax%20is%20not%20safe%20to,and%20organ%20damage%20can%20result.

Answer 6

This claim is false. I found a NBC article which explained how a video went viral on Tik Tok with incorrect information. After all, borax "can cause stomach irritation and potentially result in blue-green vomit or diarrhea if ingested". It can have life threatening affects. Many of the videos were taken down as they were spreading dangerous misinformation. 

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 7

This claim was created on tik tok, I believe that there was no intent to harm because it seems as though the person delivering the information believed it to be true and posted it out of ignornace and lack of research. NBC news states that it is in fact a false claim and that borax is very dangerous and this notion could cause a lot of harm. After further research I found that Boron can help with inflamation and it is possible that there was a confusion in the name of the chemical.

Answer 8

This statement is false. While doing some research multiple platforms have mentioned how borax is actually bad to consume. The idea of drinking borax could help with inflammation and joint pain came from social media website tikok.Doctors have said that it is a toxic chemical that can do damage to a persons body. While there are dangerous to consuming borax it's also proven wrong that the chemical can actually help when it comes to fixing inflammation and joint pain. Its important to do research when ideas like these come on social media about consuming chemicals since it can damage a person.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/drinking-borax-trend-social-media-doctors-safe/story?id=102842831

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

Answer 9

This claim is false. This statement comes from a trend theory on the Tik Tok app that was very popular back in early summer of 2023. TIK TOK is known for people developing and trying many new trends when it comes to lifestyle. health, beauty, and fashion. This trend could fall into the "health" category. This claim is absolutely false. Borax is a chemical that a base in many cleaning supplies and is in no way meant to be ingest by human beings. This is the same idea as when in 2020, the claim was going around that it was healthy to drink bleach and it would "clean out your insides" which is also absolutely false. Every health professional and news source I looked into agreed the same that the ingestion of borax is, in no situation, healthy or helpful. These trends are harmful and cause the spread of misinformation and harmful narratives.

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

https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/news/should-you-drink-borax

https://www.health.com/ingesting-borax-trend-not-safe-7565551

Answer 10

This claim that drinking borax can help with inflammation and joint pain is false. According to NBC news this started as a trend on Tik Tok and can easily jeopardize someone's health. Borax is meant to be used as a cleaner and should not be digested by a human. Even Poison control.org came out and said, " There is minimal evidence supporting the use of borax as an anti-inflammatory agent in humans." They go on to say that Tik Tok should not be your source of medical advice instead go to a trusted website like WebMd. Overall this was a pointless trend that should never have been given a platform in the first place.

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

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/borax-sodium-tetraborate#:~:text=The%20best%2Dknown%20use%20for,Paint%20and%20ceramic%20glaze

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/drinking-borax-tiktok-trend-medical-authorities-debunk-rcna95526#:~:text=People%20on%20TikTok%20have%20falsely,inflammation%20and%20ease%20joint%20pain.&text=At%20least%20twice%20a%20month,that%20could%20jeopardize%20people%27s%20health.