Doubting what your tribe doubts or what some opportunist tells you to doubt for their financial or political gain is booming. This is the “scientists hate this genius trick” advertising or the declaration that any attack on the latest populist is fake news type doubting. It is an expression of prejudice not evidence.
In common usage saying something is doubtful means the speaker thinks it wrong. This kind of doubting is also common and may or may not be based on facts.
Doubting, being uncertainty of truth or reality, is rare and getting rarer. Most will have a view regardless of the lack of evidence. Few want hear “We just don’t know”. Strangely this attitude is used to hammer serious research as Jo or Joe citizen imagines scientists ought to know everything when in fact scientists make no such claim.
Boron is an element, the chances are none of those ingesting it or advocating that are talking about the element. Borax and boric acid are both compounds of boron, those are the most likely substances that people would be ingesting. Borax is naturally occurring, boron is not. For the purpose of this discussion I have not been distinguishing one from the other as it is an unnecessary detail.
Yes Boron is a chemical element: cannot be broken down into other substances. Borax is a chemical compound a mixture containing boron + others. There is a marked difference imho.
And the topic is about Borax, if I’m not mistaken.
Rates for rheumatic complaints in Israel were similar to those in some other countries.
About 80% of Israel’s potable drinking water comes from seawater which is known to have high levels of boron before treatment. Israel actively removes boron during water treatment to ensure it meets levels, which incidentally are lower than many other countries (examples being Israel desalination plants achieve 0.2 - 0.3mg/L with Spain having up to 1mg/L. The WHO guideline limit is 2.4mg/L and indicates most of the world’s potable water supplies are below 0.5mg/L).
Israel recognises boron from seawater as being toxic/a poison and why it has been removing it from portable water. It has also been actively removing it at desalination plants as the water is also uses for irrigation. Levels which exist in seawater is detrimental to plant growth, particularly those more sensitive to boron.
While your statement might be correct in relation to water source prior to treatment (viz.seawater being relatively high in boron), the same can’t be said for potable water Israelis drink.
There are some research papers which suggest there may be a benefit of boron supplements for arthritis suffers, while others are less conclusive. There seems general consensus in the medical community that more work is needed into relationship between boron and arthritis to determine if any benefits exist. Currently any medical claims associated with benefits of taking boron supplements can’t be substantiated.
Boron supplements, such as those which may be used for trials are very different to commercially available containers of borax, the subject of the original post. Experts in relevant fields, some of the links provided in this thread, overwhelmingly advise borax is toxic/a poison and should never be consumed.
If one wishes to see if boron supplements impact on rheumatic disease symptoms, they should speak to their specialist as they will be abreast of latest developments in research being carried out, and if any research shows interactions with medicines one may be taking.
The article has a lot of good information but the following section is most relevant to this topic:
Wellness brands might pad their websites with links to studies. But some are simply summaries of the emerging data without any mention of the product in question. Many companies include research unrelated to the claim. Evidence cited by a company “could be one poorly designed study,” says Nick Tiller, a senior researcher in exercise physiology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre. “It could be cherry-picked.”
“What you want to see are the results of actual rigorous studies of the product itself, showing that it works,” Jarry says. “But that’s almost never the case.”
I use a fair bit of borax (and at one stage had difficulty getting it). It has served us long and well.
It is great in my home made recipe for our Porta Potty that we take camping. So much cheaper than buying those ready made mixtures and just as effective at breaking down the contents
Yes, your whites are going to be extra white, fresh and soft. This is because the water in borax converts water into hydrogen peroxide, a natural whitening agent. No more will your white clothing have that horrible grey tone to them, and no more will you have to rely on bleach to whiten your clothes. Why Is Borax Good For Laundry? - Nourishme Organics
Hydrogen peroxide is the whitening ingredient also in Vanish
Sodium tetraborate has a high alkaline level (pH level of around 9.13) and when diluted in hot water it reaches a pH level of 8, giving it the perfect acidity level for cleaning. This means it works as a bleaching agent killing any bacteria, or fungus growths, and removing stains.
Yes it is alkaline and the detergents in laundry powder work better in alkaline conditions which is the main reason laundry powder also contains washing soda (sodium carbonate).
No that does not mean it is a bleach or that it kills all bacteria or fungus. It assists with removing stains.
Yes, your whites are going to be extra white, fresh and soft. This is because the water in borax converts water into hydrogen peroxide, a natural whitening agent.
No, to convert water into hydrogen peroxide requires a strong oxidising agent which borax is not. If you had hydrogen peroxide in your washing machine it would break down into water again and produce bubbles of oxygen - which does not happen. There is nothing very natural about hydrogen peroxide.
Yes, the magic natural washing powder does more! It removes those annoying stains that you just can’t seem to get rid of. Stains from tomatoes or mustard are notoriously difficult because they’re acidic stains, but they’re no match for borax. The boric acid fights those other acids and releases them from your clothing, ensuring they’re stain free.
This is just waffle, “acidic stains” has no meaning. The orange-red colour of tomato is lycopene whose bright colour is a result of a complex molecular structure. That structure, as so the colour, can be disrupted but not because it is acidic.
Got some organic borax powder, and you’re wondering if it has any other uses for the house? Well, we have a few here for you.
They are making up meanings here, “organic” has two meanings. One is things that are living or were living, or something derived from those. The other is the chemical compounds of carbon. Borax in neither of those.
It is true that borax can be useful in your washing machine. Most of this web page is exaggerated drivel using the naturalistic fallacy that is trying to convince you to buy their borax because it is special - which it ain’t.
My earliest recollection of Borax was the “purer” version known as Boric Acid (aka Boracic). It was used for wound dressings and there was even a Boric Acid Lint and ointment again used to dress wounds, It was later superseded by more effective less toxic antiseptic agents. Who knows it may yet make a comeback.
Wikipedia is not a reliable source. Never has been. It is open source and editable by many misinformation spreaders. It’s great for stuff like who starred in whatever movie - very basic stuff. But as a scientifically based health source? Nope. May as well go to TikTok
Rather than us wandering off into the general question of is Wiki reliable or not, do you have anything to say specifically about the benefits or problems with ingesting boron compounds?
