These are the same people who believe drinking their own urine is a good idea.
Where does this nonsense come from?
Where does it come from? The Internet of course, and other sources trying to peddle silly ideas for money. Some pre-date the Internet. Homeopathy for instance. Radium the wonder drug. That didn’t turn out so good.
It is good to be a skeptic.
As pointed out, plants need Boron, but in very small amounts. Where I live in Far North Queensland the soils are deficient, because it is easily leached out of the soil with rain. It is an important micronutrient for new growth, especially for flowering and fruit set. Interestingly, the difference between not enough and a fatal dose for plants is very small. I regularly apply it to my fruit trees, in small amounts.
Zinc and Magnesium are other elements commonly deficient in Australian coastal soils with high rainfall. Magnesium is deficient in many people’s diets.
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OKG, this type of stuff on Farcebook makes me feel sick as sadly so many people think if it’s on a computer it must be true. A bit like Dr Google.
As an experienced RN I can assure everyone that using Borax for your health is a load of rubbish. Thank you for bringing this to everyone’s attention.
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I think it is well known that elements like iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and others are needed in the right amounts. Those should be available in a good diet. But there may be a need for suppliments in certain cases.
On the other hand, I along with my sister, have hereditory haemochromotosis that means iron supplements are a no option. Actually it is very common.
From my research, plants need boron, but animals do not. There is nothing I have seen that indicates taking boron does anything, good or bad.
How do you know that?
Agree. More recently and more concerning there has been an increase of calls to the poisons hotline from children accidentally consuming borax (ringing a poisons hotline when consumed is stated on labelling). Borax is often used as an ingredient in slime…
Borax is widely reported on poisoning and medical related websites as being toxic and not to be consumed. Parents should reconsider giving their children borax as an ingredient in slime due to potential risks of poisoning.
Syncretic said… How do you know that?
Have a look here…
Also makes interesting reading regarding other nutrients and Australian diets.
Thanks I wasn’t aware of that.
In order to protect its citizens from harm, experts in the US have been working frantically to debunk the false benefits of consuming borax.
It is important to read the advice of Johnson-Arbor, a toxicology physician and co-medical director at the National Capital Poison Center:
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.
“There’s really nothing to support the use of borax in humans for inflammation or reduction of oxidative stress or anything like that,” Johnson-Arbor said.
As health misinformation continues to proliferate online, a growing group of medical professionals has felt compelled to alert people, on and off TikTok, about the dangers of these so-called hacks and alternatives.
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A disproportionate number of Americans are sceptical of
who are not featured on their favourite rage enhancing talk shows, tiktok videos, FB, partisan rallies, and faux news programs/web sites. Remember the movements for bleach, ivermectin, oleandrin, and the daddy of them all, hydroxychloroquine.for COVID?
The experts have a monumental task to debunk the rubbish that has become mainstream and restore faith in science and medical science that should not have been lost in the first place.
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Nothing. But you asked specifically about magnesium, which I had mentioned in passing about deficiencies in soil nutrition of minerals such as boron.
My apologies, I went too fast and did not put your remark in context. I have edited the original.
I think that at the heart of all this lies a lack of critical thinking skills. People are accepting things that others say, without asking themselves questions like “what qualifications or experience does this person have that would give them knowledge on this subject?” Media such as the internet are wonderful resources, if only you can discern the difference between fact and fiction.
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That is not new. Many treat wealthy people, celebrities, or successful pollies and now tiktok stars/influencers as having some special insights when the reality is far from it. 
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Indeed, not a new phenomenon. The saying that “there’s a sucker born every minute” has been around for a couple of centuries at least, and is all too true, unfortunately. 
The Internet and social media make it just so-o-o easy to reach vast numbers of impressionable people.
How to tackle the problem? I don’t think there’s a quick fix, but surely making critical thinking a mandatory subject in every year of the school curriculum, starting in pre-school, would be a start.
“farcebook” is becoming faecesbook!
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My goodness, are people not able to distinguish between information and information, wherever it comes from? Would we go to a library and do research from books of Fiction and not from Reference books?
The OP has clearly stated that the info on Borax being the new wonder drug comes from Farcebook!
That should have been a red flag for anyone. Farcebook does a lot of damage on the world of social media making confusing and misleading statements. The Urban Dictionary defines Farcebook as a world of comedy, illusions, false informations, lies.
Good to see choice community alert and aware on this issue!
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But, but, if you teach people to think critically so that they will avoid scams, self poisoning and conspiracy theories they might use that ability to be more politically discerning and look at facts before they vote instead of using gut feeling.
Think of the loss of productivity by society due to time spent on such frivolities. I think our leaders would prevent such legislation coming to pass to protect us from that.
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A lot of the problem isn’t necessarily lack of education or understanding, but a distrust of science and ability to seek information that supports one’s own view…or looking at available information and to misconstrue what the science means.
The first is commonly seen and statements like ‘big pharma has been hiding this miracle cure’ or ‘big pharma more interested in profits/selling their own products than promoting xyz as cure’. These sort of statements feed into conspiracies or doubts in the minds of individuals. Doubting is becoming more common, especially with current forms of communication.
The second is usually the curious searching for information on what is being ‘promoted’…such as ‘Is Borax good for xyz’. The postive search questions usually drive more favourable responses in the results. If the question ‘if I consume borax, will I be poisoned’ will yield different results. Some of these results highlight the risks of consuming borax and that it is a toxin/poison.
The third is very common. The proverb '‘A little knowledge is a dangerous thing’ often applies. It is often seen in the media where journalists get it wrong all the time. Examples being articles of overly positive (misrepresented) results of the early stages of research with sufferers believing a cure is on its way…only to never surface again. Likewise with looking up scientific information. If one hasn’t training or experience in the field, simple facts can all of a sudden be misconstrued into something which is misleading/incorrect.
And 1 and 3 are related. If one is more of a doubter, then experts in the respective fields are often ignored as they are part of the bigger conspiracy. Their advice is ignored.
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