Don’t drink Borax regardless of what you see on social media, says Ont. toxicologist

Often used as a laundry detergent or pesticide, a new social media trend has people drinking Borax for its supposed health benefits.

The chemical compound is being billed as “a powerhouse anti-inflammatory” by users who say consuming it mixed with water can help with a range of health issues like joint and muscle pain.

Now an environmental toxicologist from the University of Guelph is urging people to stop.

“The issue with Borax is that it also is going to expose the person to boric acid,” Ryan Prosser said. “There are small amounts in our food and that's not a big deal, but we don't want to increase our exposure to boric acid because it can have adverse effects.”

Prosser says the messaging mix-up may have happened because one of the ingredients in Borax, the mineral boron, has benefits in healthy doses.

But that’s not how it’s being consumed online.

It gained popularity on platforms like TikTok. But the social media company told CTV News it doesn't believe drinking Borax is a trend on their platform, and that many of the most popular videos promoting the consumption of it have been taken down. TikTok's community guidelines aims to ban videos that promote dangerous practices, including online challenges.

“You could damage your kidneys, it could damage your liver, there's different organs, depending on how much you're consuming, it could be detrimental to your digestive tract,” Prosser said.

The Ontario Poison Centre (OPC) has not received any calls for consumption-related Borax exposure this year.

But in a statement to CTV News, the organization said: “This may underrepresent the total amount of consumption-related Borax exposures as calls to OPC are voluntary and a patient, friend, family member or health-care provider may not deem a call to OPC appropriate or necessary depending on the circumstances of the incident.”

As the trend of consuming the chemical continues to gain traction, the messaging from experts is clear: while the inside of your washing machine can handle Borax, your insides can’t.