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

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.