This week, that something is Borax.
Yes, the stuff you use in your laundry.
What is borax, anyway?
Borax is a mineral more accurately known assodium tetraborate decahydrate.
In our diets, boron is whats called a trace mineral.
We get teeny tiny amounts of it naturally, and that seems to be enough.
Borax is the one you could buy by the box in the laundry section of your favorite superstore.
Boric acidyet another boron-containing compoundis sometimes used topically totreat yeast infections.
Note that this isnotborax.
(By the way, one of the worlds largest borax deposits is in California.
An early mine, located in Death Valley, began operating before railroads reached the area.
But I guess its also a metaphor for how strong a cleaning agent it is, or something.)
Borax can remove stains from your laundry, kill insects, andmake slimewhen mixed with glue.
Borax is not intended for internal use.
Why are people drinking borax?!
Because it cures everything, okay??
This trend, like almost every shockingly new thing on TikTok, dates back to a much older myth.
They say that boron supplementation might hold promise for relieving arthritis pain, but that more research is needed.
Know your boron-containing products!
Boron supplements(3 mg) can be ingested if you would like to increase your intake of boron.
20 Mule Team Boraxis a laundry booster and multi-purpose cleaning agent.
Heed the warning on the package and do not eat or drink this.
The next issue is dosage.
Borax is 11.5% boron by weight.
The U.S.s Food and Nutrition Board has set 20 milligrams as the upper limit for boron intake for adults.
Borax isconsidered to be safe when used properly, which means making sure not to ingest or inhale it.
