The Shocking Facts Of Eating Borax For Your Health

The United States Department of Agriculture says, “Recent data from animal and human studies suggest that boron may be important for mineral metabolism and membrane function.”
One collection of three studies showed functional role of boron, brain electrophysiology and cognitive performance were assessed in response to dietary manipulation of boron using 3.25 mg of boron daily saying, “There was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the proportion of low-frequency activity, and a decrease in the proportion of higher-frequency activity, an effect often observed in response to general malnutrition and heavy metal toxicity.”
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Those on boron showed greater manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, attention, perception, encoding and short-term memory as well as long-term memory. Medline Plus shows boron increases testosterone levels naturally.
Other reports show boron potentially builds bone strength and reduces arthritis.
Acu-Cell Nutrition says, “Boron (B) has not been officially designated to be essential to human health at this time, however boron is an essential macronutrient for higher plant forms, and there are some indications that it could be classified as essential for humans.”

One trial showed use of boron increased calcium and magnesium retention, but reduced manganese levels. Manganese is a c0-factor for calcium uptake. This could be beneficial for those with congested liver disease which leaves a person with high manganese levels that subsequently deplete magnesium and calcium levels.
Boron is commonly used as a yeast eliminator. Medline Plus says women use boron inserted vaginally for yeast infections saying, “Some research shows that boric acid, used inside the vagina, can successfully treat yeast infections (candidiasis), including infections that do not seem to resolve with other treatments. However, the quality of this research is in question.”
Research regarding use of boron or boric acid is still in the early stages. Reports generally show statements like boron is likely safe. Or it is likely unsafe such as in using large amounts of boric acid powder for diaper rash or yeast. Boron does show potential stress on the kidney as they have to work very hard to process the Boron.
Boron shows to potentially effect hormone levels, increasing testosterone as well as estrogen. This could prove concerning in the use of baby powders for diaper rash.
The Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology says, “Boron is associated with pectin it is essential for vascular plants as a component of cell walls and is involved in membrane transport. However, a high boron concentration in the soils is toxic to plants and some boronated derivatives are used as herbicides.”

They go on to say, “Boron may be involved in cerebral function via its effects on the transport across membranes. It affects the synthesis of the extracellular matrix and is beneficial in wound healing.”
Rex Newnham, Ph.D., D.O., N.D. is a teacher of soil science, chemistry and agricultural botany realized his arthritis was the result of soil deficiency, specifically in boron.
The FDA says low intake of boron is 0.25 mg per day while high intake is 3.25 mg per day. They recommend, “For vaginal infections: 600 mg of boric acid powder once or twice a day. For prevention of recurring Candida (yeast) infections: 600 mg twice weekly.”
Newnham says, “I looked into the effect of boron and 45–60 grams was a dangerous dose. It has about the same toxicity as sodium chloride. So I took less than one thousandth of this dangerous dose, namely 30 mg of sodium tetraborate. In three weeks all pain, swelling and stiffness had gone. I was cured with no side effects..” He has since become an avid promoter of boron supplementation in it’s natural form Sodium Tetraborate, specifically promoting the remedy to those with arthritis. They report the same results he found.
Sodium Tetraborate is easily found in the grocery store in a box labeled Borax. Sodium Tetraborate is used as a laundry detergent booster, cleaner, pesticide as, “Borax and other borates clean and bleach by converting some water molecules to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2),” chemistry says.
Newnham says, “The U.S. Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota’ has shown that boron works through the parathyroid, and this is the gland that controls mineralization of bones. Boron also helps to restore the natural hormones to elderly women who were suffering with osteoporosis. This natural hormone is much better than the hormone replacement therapy. [HRT] that is so often recommended by doctors. The HRT too often leads to breast cancer, but not the natural hormone. Patients who have used boron for arthritis just don’t seem to develop osteoporosis.”
The NIH listed the finding reported in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Ithyroid says, “Boron is essential for copper metabolism and therefore quite probably for the correction of hyperthyroidism and possibly hypothyroidism.”
The Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology says, “Acute supplementation with 11.6 mg of boron resulted in a significant increase in plasma boron concentration. Given such a fast bioavailability, the objective was to determine whether acute (hourly or daily), and weekly supplementation could have any significant biological effects on the steroid hormones and further on some inflammatory biomarkers.”
Acu-Cell Nutrition says, “Toxicity is somewhat dependent on an individual’s kidney functions and may cause boron accumulation in kidneys, lungs, bone, liver, heart, brain, fatty tissue, parathyroid and reproductive glands.”
Foods high in boron are apples, pears, grapes, non-citrus fruit, legumes, nuts, wine, vegetables and avocado.
If you are looking to improve your health is it always wise to seek information from your qualified Medical Professional. This post is not that.
*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, CGP, D.PSc. who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. She is a Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor, through The American Naturopathic Medical Association and works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, Skype and phone. She has been published in Wise Traditions, spoken at two Weston A. Price Conferences, Certified GAPS Practitioner Trainings, has been on many radio shows, television shows and writes for Nourishing Plot. She serves on the GAPS Board of Directors and has recently been named “The GAPS Expert” by Dr. Natasha and will serve teaching other Certified GAPS Practitioners proper use of the GAPS protocol. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia, through food, she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. She is a Chapter Leader for The Weston A. Price Foundation. becky.nourishingplot@hotmail.com
“GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
65 Comments
Have you written a book or how can I follow you and the information you share.
Thank you for such an informative blog.
This is such exciting news. Thank you for sharing your findings!
the article immediate skips over the differences between the two, boron and borax. i find that odd. borax is not boron. boron is contained within borax. there are no specifics on a box of borax for internal ingestion.. eating too much? too little? you don’t know. no specs! . hence, borax is risky at best. boron is carefully meted our in supplement form. regarded as safe in the industry.
I cured my rheumatoid arthritis in 4 weeks with borax. It had no effect for 19 days then on day 20 I could feel it working. I put 1/4 tsp in glass luke warm water and drink it in morning. Borax is low risk. Lot of people hve taken it. Research it. To be on safe side just know what boron overdose symptoms are.
Thanks for sharing this! Fantastic!
I have had the same results, prioris. I’ve been taking Borax for nearly 9 years and a dentist almost 2 years ago kept exclaiming throughout the interview that, “You have extremely strong bones!” At the next appointment to have the root canal, I got up the courage to ask him if he meant ‘strong bones’ for my age, I was 63. He exclaimed, “No, for any age!”
I have a bad hip from a muscle tear and cannot walk well, and this has been for over 33 years now. No way did I get strong bones for any age from exercise.
Thirteen months after the root canal, the same tooth began aching terribly again. I thought I would have to have another root canal. But instead I took a tsp of borax. Within twenty minutes the pain greatly subsided, about 80%. When the pain began to return, I took another tsp. After about two weeks, there was no pain until it was time to take another teaspoon of it. I ended up doing this for a little less than four months, four teaspoons over the day and one as I went to bed. I continued until the pain was gone and did not come back.
It has now been seven months since stoping taking that amount and that often, and other than the quarter tsp I take in my water a day, I have not had any bother from that tooth. Two months ago I went completely off the Borax for a month to see if it would return; it did not. But I then noticed that my astigmatism in my right eye came back and I could not use it at night in bed reading. Taking it improves that eye almost totally when lights are dim and i am not wearing my glasses. I also use borax drops I make up for my and my Corgi’s eyes. It cleans up gunk and takes away itch. And it does not sting, even as just plain water will irritate the eyes.
I have studied up on boron and borax and I shall be taking this, along with magnesium throughout the day for the rest of my life. Both seem to improve my aches and pains which used to make it difficult to move, to get into and out of bed.
Namaste and care,
mhikl
Excellent! Thank you for sharing this.
Becky, as usual habit, I went off taking my borax daily for a couple of months (habit is not one of my strengths). A number of issues arose, but I persisted in not taking my borax a while longer as I was curious and wanted to see how far my ‘deterioration’ would continue.
After four months I had the following issues: my astigmatism returned to its full extent and night reading again became a problem; my ‘bones & muscles’ began to ache (terribly) in bed, making it hard to turn or move without sever pain; it became more difficult for me to make decisions and my memory seemed to deteriorate; passing urine became a problem with a more persistent sudden need to visit the loo; my hip pain exacerbated making walking so difficult it had becoming crippling;~(I am now in line for a hip replacement; this pain finally got me off my lazy behind); I was needing to wear my glasses more often~I am now back to only using them whilst driving.
There are other probs but I have to have more time to see how they continue, or not continue to improve, and to recognize and note any other improvements.
Now I have a container of borax on my kitchen and bathroom counters, at my bedside, and the solution in the compartment of my vehicles. I am trying to make sure I take a tsp at least every four hours. (I suspect less would work but that would take some experimenting to find out.) From experience the borax is passed out of my system at the four hour mark, as that is the time when my old root canal would suddenly became painful again.
I also put on ten lbs, but only time will tell if this was due to not following my routine. However, I do notice that I have not my cravings* and my usually ‘one meal at supper time’ is back to being my usual pattern with no desire or need to cheat in the day. (*I have tossed the large tin of mixed nuts behind the drivers seat?)
My new rule is that for me, more is better when it comes to taking my borax.
N/C
mhikl
Thank you for sharing this and glad you’re feeling so well!
When you say you take 1 tsp of Borax a few times a day during your symptoms treatment was it 1 tsp of the actual full strength borax ganules mixed in something or 1 tsp of the mixture of 1 quart of distilled water/1 tsp of Borax? I just want to be clear on that. Thanks in advance for your answer.
Yes that would be a crucial information, 1tsp of borax in one shoot is very large dose, I assume this is almost of 1000mg of boron (rough estimation if borax contain 20% of boron, and 1tsp is approx 5g, maybe less). If she takes boron of several of tsp per day, this is several grams of boron per day!! And lethal dose is somewhere of 20g for adult, this sound dangeours. According to info that I found, usual tretment dose should be between 5-70 mg per day. Some use even 100 mg/day. But according to mhikl, seems that she use more than 10 times of max. dose that I ever found.
Excellent question. People need to be clear with something so open to interpretation.
What kind of borax did you take–the laundry cleaner version or the pharmaceutical version?
they are the same, read the ingredients on the box
I’m buying Borax. Great article.
don’t forget vitamin k complex!
I’ve also been on borax (lick the tip of finger and dip method) for about 2 years. The three cavities in my teeth disappeared, and 9 other watch areas vanished. Also, I switched my diet to the Blood Type Diet (but the cavities started going away before this switch). All gum recession is also gone. My last time at the dentist, he said, “my God, somebody blessed you with great teeth.”
I’m running on all 8 cylinders like I was 18 again. Silicon dioxide nano-particles, manganese supplements, and titanium dioixde nanoparticles are major disturbers to boron balance in the body, so I’ve had to stay away from those too.
So you quit taking the supplements since your on Boron? And what’s the difference in the both, boron and borax?
Hey James, Can you please explain in detail how to do the “lick the tip of finger and dip method”? How much Borax do you end up getting on your finger? Do you then eat the Borax off of your finger… or do you just leave it on your skin for absorption through the skin? Etc. Thanks!
Not sure about your statement regarding borax being disrupted by silica dioxide. I wonder if you read something about boric acid which is not borax. Fiji water high in natural silica dioxide is good for removing aluminum build up in brains of Autistics and Alzheimer’s. (Ref. Dr. Chris Exley). I do not see anywhere that a conflict exists between borax (sodium tetraborate) and silica dioxide. I was hopeful with info on borax for cognitive improvement, as I have an adult son with autism who is presently drinking Fiji water daily for it’s high silica content. Please can someone knowledgeable comment on this subject? Thank you.
James, what about lugols iodine and selenium? Ho much should be taken from each and in what way(transdermal or oral) and what food sources are best for selenium?
Thanks for sharing guys. Can someone please share where to buy borax and what kind?
It is linked in the post.
I live in the USA and I buy the 20 Mule Team Borax at my local Dollar General store. I came across Borax when researching natural treatments for arthritis. I believe it has tremendous health benefits. I’ve been using it for nearly a year now. Earthclinic.com has some very useful info/research/reviews. A regular contributor to that site, Ted, has protocol that is recommended. I go by that.
All you need is 20 Mule Team brand borax found in the detergent aisle.
I currently have Lichen Sclerosis. The natural cures seem to point to drinking Borax to heal. But I’m afraid to. Any thoughts? The cause is candida in my system.
Angela, go to the Patient UK Lichen Sclerosis site where there is discussion about soaking in borax water either in bath or sitz bath. On the EarthClinic site the recommended dose for women is 1/8 teaspoon in one litre of water; drink this 4 days a week. Walter Last has written an article re borax if you do a search. Hope this helps.
I just started using borax for lichen sclerosus. It has started to help. Also eating 4 apricot kernels daily. Will post my progress.
@Aloha Granny – Aloha to you. Careful with the apricot seeds. I’m no expert, but the common warning is that your body will make cyanide out of the natural chemicals in those seeds. Cyanide is most definitely a poison that makes you sick or kills you (depending on the dose) by preventing your body from using the oxygen you breathe in.
Careful with the apricot kernels, your body will make cyanide with the stuff in them. You could poison yourself.
Borax 99% pure is what is recommended for human consumption.
Yes, thank you. It is listed in the post.
The boron content of borax is approximately 11 per cent.
1 Teaspoon of Borax weight approximately 3 grams, containing 330 mg of boron.
The reason for using borax is because it is in an ionic form from what I understand hence more able to absorb. I wouldn’t know which boron supplement to buy as an alternative. From what I can understand, boron is not easy to a absorb.
And the amount in most tablets is minuscule.
Namaste and care,
mhikl
Research is showing that prions are what’s causing alzheimers, parkinsons, Huntingtons, als, ms, and autism too. I got a prion disease from taking a health supplement called elk antler velvet spray. I’ve tried almost everything with little or no benefits. My last ditch effort is to try borax. The strain of prion disease I have resembles scrapies which research shows that it is transmissible to humans they are reinvestigating old cjd cases to see if it was scrapies and not cjd at all. The supplement I took came from new zealand which is a huge importer of sheep I believe the elk were living on the same farm as the sheep that had scrapies and it was spread to them. I was a respiratory therapist for 10 yrs in Philadelphia I’ve been to every doctor you can think of and no one knows how to help me. It’s affected mostly my body and stomach more than anything also my brain in certain ways too. Also what I have is highly contagious through saliva, urine, and feces. Hopefully this borax stuff can help me. Ive spread this to my kids wife and family in nj and now out in az too its a horrible mess and the doh and cdc and government or medical facilities won’t do a damn thing to prevent this from spreading to more and more people. There will eventually be an epidemic of this very, very soon mark my word.
I have researched borax on numerous occasions. It could likely be what helps you. I take it for mild arthritis, toe nail fungus and bone health, etc. You should go to earthclinic.com to research borax and read everything you can find on it, esp any suggestions/recommendations by Ted. He’s a chemist from Bangkok, I believe, and a beloved contributor on many many health matters. I’m a “follower” of his myself. Reviews that people share are often very helpful, too. It’s a great site. earthclinic.com is where I came across a blog http://www.delusionalinsects.com. I started reading it out of curiousity. The writer of the blog was plagued by parasites and was seriously considering taking his own life. Someone told him to visit earthclinic and he got help from Ted, with some awesome results. I went back to the blog at another time and it seems like the man’s cure did not last or he was still having some issues but he was a lot better. You might find this of interest. The blog is here: http://www.delusionalinsects.com
I just went there and he has an update as recent as 12/2016.
Also, have you come across Jennifer Daniels. She’s an MD, I believe, who started treating her patients with more natural approaches. She is widely known for recommending turpentine,esp for ridding one of parasites. I’ve read some articles and listened to several youtube videos of her being interviewed. I am buying turpentine (Georgia Pure Gum Spirits Turpentine) soon because I want to use it for a cleanse.
I also came across Clive de Carle on youtube this past weekend. The first video I watched with him was “Why are cures against the Law?” You might enjoy what he has to say. I can’t remember if he got into Borax or not. He was talking about one thing being banned in many EU countries and it may have been iodine. He got into colloidal silver for a short part of the video., too.
Both he and Dr. Jennifer Daniels are available for consultations by phone, but i wouldn’t have a clue what they charge.
Julene, thanks for the link. I’d wondered what had happened to David.
I have been using bored in my laundry for years. Then I came across a recipe for borax in bath salts. I was looking for that recipe yesterday when I came across the idea of taking borax for arthritis. So this is my second day taking it. I would ALWAYS rather take something natural rather than drugs. I have problems with my pancreas so I need natural, but I have fibromyalgia and cronic inflamation issued so I have to find something that can help. Looking forward to seeing if bored is the answer!
I also used the borax for my laundry needs for years. 3 days ago I decided to try this on day 2 when I layed down to go to sleep there was no pain none at all.
Wonderful news! So happy for you! Pain sucks!!!!!!!
I have long term side effects from taking the antibiotics Levoquin, and Cipro. The side effects are sudden onset of fibromyalgia and chronic inflammation and arthritis.Taking d-Ribose helps relieve the fatigue. Still reading on reversing the damage if possible.
hi, i hope you are doing fine, I want to know your experience after taking borax, I want to try myself but I´m scary about it, because i read that is poison.
Hope you see this comment and can answer.
Linda are you still taking the borax and how your pancreas tolerated it, I know someone with RA but also liver and pancreas issues, so I’ve hesitated mentioning borax to them. Thank you ahead Paula
Dang spell check! 😉
62 yrs old male just started borax mineral water. Astonishing results dipruytens contracture eased long term 25yrs yeast infection cleared little wonder it’s been banned .we are the uninformed masses
Sadly, neither the FDA nor the EPA have our best interests at heart; so, I don’t beleive ANYTHING they,, and big Pharma say. Boron won’t make it into food crops due to heavy use of fertilizer, fluoridated water and pesticides like RoundUp. Borax is safer than table salt and with magnesium, is a panacea–the very reason it’s ignored.
It’s 2018. After giving sufficient evidence from research, and finding out that the harmful levels of these natural minerals are astronomically high (difficult to overdose almost impossible), it’s clearly time to drop any disclaimer that says you have to ask your medical professional’s advice. What exactly do you think the average doctor or health care professional will say when you come to them, enthusiastically, about this information? If you are going to do that, don’t even bother doing your own research or make your own adult decisions. It’s sad and hypocritical that any of these “health” articles run that disclaimer. If the medical profession were truly promoting your optimal health, whether or not they know this information, then your research on these topics would be completely unnecessary. Am I the ONLY person who sees this disclaimer as the elephant in the room. ? You are sick and/or not functioning optimally precisely because the essential level of nutrients has been left out of what you call food, and the medical professionals want you on sythetic drugs instead of telling you to reintroduce these important elements back into your body via research and application of research. It’s really that simple. You cannot really easily overdose on borax, or iodine, or vitamin c. And it’s most likely that the cause of most of your problems is in the deficiency of those and their companion nutrients.
Still need to follow the law and what legally has to be said. 😉
Thank you.
Hello Becky, Hope you are well, My son has Autism he is 12 yrs old, My daughter Scarlett is 9 yrs old &has CP and central adrenal insufficiency, hyperthyroid, and is wheelchair bound, and last but not least, my 23 yr old daughter has just been diagnosed with H PYLORI , would borax be beneficial to anyone of my 3 children ? what is the regimen plz and Thank You ? I am in big time depression bcz my kids are sick, I dnt know what to do anymore, again PLEASE HELP, I trust you and read up on how you do what you do as ur mission in life, please help !
Florida Jaser, Mastic gum is a specific for coating the stomach to help get rid of H. pylori. Here is information from the National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19879118
Dr. Jorge Flechas, MD, MPH lectures to a group of holistic dentists about boron. He says we need much more than the 3mg boron available from the health food store, either as Borax or Boro Tabs from Hakala Labs. He advises 75mg for adults or 30mg for women who could become pregnant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJp7SW1pY2I&list=PLGggqay3WnGbEo_jcFttZXtlHq6pUePb0
I thought I was weird using it as a preventative to poison ivy, bathing with borax instead of soap. Now using it on my scalp and my hair is fantastic. I’ll continue to do so and hope/expect my skin to soak it into my system, but somewhat taken aback for internal digestion. Maybe one day.
Jess Tatz, What happens when you use borax on your scalp and hair? How is is fantastic? I’d like to find out how it has helped your hair.
Am 72 and have used borax for 8 years (1/4 teaspoon, once a day in hot water). Will cause Herxheimer syndrome (within several hours) for up to 10 days (from bad bug die-off). Killed arthritis magnificently and balances hormones (male & female). No side-effects except Libido is like a young guy. Prevents osteoporosis (a form of arthritis) in women. Most amazing medical discovery of my life. Buy 20 Mule Team soap at grocery store. It is pure mineral sodium tetraborate.
Also cures fungal toe infection! One tablespoon of Borax in a bowl of not too hot water just enough to cover your feet. Scrub around your toes with a nail brush. Do it 2 or 3 times a week and you will see new clean nail growing. It does take a long time as toenails grow very slowly.
It is safe to add 1/8 teaspoon of 20 Mule Team Borax to 1 gallon of purified water.It has a 9.3 Ph. I have been drinking this for a week. I actually went for a jog today. I haven’t jogged for 20 years due to Inflammation in my joints. Also my skin feels wonderful. I sweat sweet smelling detergent scent.
I use 20 Mule Team Borax. 1/8 teaspoon to 1 gallon purified water. I drink this all day.
I had severe neck pain from an injury since I was 19 years old. I would wake up every morning with a stiff neck and headache. Until I moved around, the headache would go away. I recently started drinking 1/4 teaspoon borax in a liter of water daily for five days on two days off. I am 70 years old and I now have no pain in my neck or the morning headaches. It also has helped with my recent knee pain. I also soak in 1/4 cup borax and 1/4 cup baking soda in a warm bath tub for at least 20 minutes 2 to 3 times a week. My skin looks great and feels so soft and my toe fungus has gone away. Thank God for sites like this and earthclinic.com.
Thank you for sharing this Aloha. So glad you’re feeling well!