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What you should know about the toxic substance sold as a ‘miracle cure’
It should go without saying that products claiming to be “miracle cures” are usually anything but, especially during this pandemic. Were it so easy to fix a range of health conditions like cancer, HIV or COVID-19 with a simple tonic or pill, doctors wouldn’t be making the kind of money they do, would they?
That said, not everybody knows that many of the health supplements sold online are nothing but junk. A significant portion of America relies on platforms like YouTube and Facebook for health information, which has the side effect of causing unreliable data and conspiracy theories to push their way to the top. Tap or click here to see why this is.
But one quack medical cure is causing more serious issues than other, more common supplements. The “Miracle Mineral Solution,” or MMS is an alleged cure-all tonic for a variety of ailments. But a quick look at the chemicals contained in the bottle reveals it’s not only a phony cure, it can actually kill you. Here’s why.
The Miracle Mineral Solution is a harmful healthcare scam
The Miracle Mineral Solution is a fringe health tonic that has been peddled by alternative medical practitioners for the past two decades. It has been subject to a number of wild claims about its supposed benefits, like how it allegedly cures a range of diseases and conditions like autism, HIV and even COVID-19.
According to reports from Business Insider, several activist groups have promoted the MMS as a potential COVID-19 cure. These groups are mostly fringe conspiracy theorists organizing on messaging platforms like Telegram, but due to the way Facebook and YouTube are designed, these engagement-prone conspiracies continue to spread like wildfire.
One entrepreneur was even charged for federal crimes for producing and marketing MMS as a COVID-19 treatment online.
Of course, anyone following the news knows that COVID-19 has no contemporary cure or treatment other than symptom management. But that hasn’t stopped huxters from shilling it along with other scammy substances for money. Tap or click here to see how to spot the websites selling scam cures and equipment.
The MMS is the brainchild of one Jim Humble, a former Church of Scientology member turned spiritual leader. After claiming he “discovered” the Miracle Mineral Solution MMS on a trip to South America, he published a book on his product and took to YouTube to spread his misinformation. Tap or click here to see what YouTube did in response.
Humble said the tonic can “kill most of the disease of mankind, and it’s also been heavily championed as an alternative therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders in children. But anyone giving the MMS to children, let alone themselves, is doing a great deal of physical harm.
The ‘medicine’ Humble promoted is actually a chemical compound called chlorine dioxide — an industrial bleach used for cleaning floors and toilets.
As most people are fully aware, drinking bleach is deadly. But due to misinformation surrounding what the MMS really is, thousands of people have ingested the substance in spite of warnings from agencies like the Red Cross, EPA and FDA. There are even reports from Vice documenting communities of parents who forced their children to take the substance via enemas to “cure” their autism.
What does the MMS actually do to the body? What makes it so dangerous?
Bleach is highly corrosive alkaline chemical, which means it has a high pH that can upset the delicate balance of internal tissue. Aside from drying out or burning mucus membranes, it has also been known to cause shedding of intestinal lining when swallowed.
These intestinal strips are often mistaken for “parasites,” which proponents use as evidence the solution “works.”
But there is no shortage of real proof of the substance’s danger. In 2010, multiple people ended up in the emergency room for consuming MMS — with life threatening symptoms of low blood pressure, as well as vomiting and dehydration.
Jim Humble, on his part, now denies that the solution cures anything at all. In a 2016 interview with ABC News, he denies several of the claims he has made over the years and accused followers of putting words in his mouth.
In any case, the MMS doesn’t belong anywhere near your medicine cabinet. If you’re looking for ways to prevent COVID-19 from taking root in your home, the best things you can do are to stay home as much as possible, continue social distancing, wash your hands and wear a mask in public.
Drinking bleach, on the other hand, will kill you faster than COVID-19 ever could.
Tags: bleach, Conspiracy theories, dangerous, Facebook, health supplements, miracle cure, misinformation, pandemic, YouTube
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