Researchers at Wroclaw Medical University in Poland examined the effects of acidified sodium chlorite, the base ingredient of Miracle Mineral Solution, on various bacteria. Although this compound can effectively destroy bacteria, it does so at doses that kill even living cells and laboratory animals. The findings show that MMS is far from being a safe treatment – as its proponents claim.
“We have shown that safe and therapeutic concentrations cannot be achieved at the doses recommended by alternative medicine proponents,” the researchers write in their paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.
the miracle that is not
MMS was first popularized by author and former Scientologist Jim Humble in the mid-2000s. The mixture combines distilled sodium chlorite with acid in water, resulting in the formation of chlorine dioxide, a bleaching agent commonly used as a disinfectant.
Humble and other proponents have claimed that chlorine dioxide/MMS can treat every medical condition under the sun, from autism to HIV. But these claims have never been verified by rigorous studies, nor has MMS ever been approved for medical use.
Health officials have long warned the public to stay away from MMS, while law enforcement agencies have periodically gone after its marketers. For example, in 2023, several members of the Grennon family in Florida were sentenced to federal prison for illegally promoting and distributing MMS as a treatment for COVID-19.
The scientists behind the new study say not enough work has been done to verify the medicinal effects of MMS, especially on bacteria. So they tested two different forms of MMS (made from two different acids) on several bacterial species, including disease-causing strains. Staphylococcus aureus And Escherichia coliAlso probiotic bacteria. MMS was also tested for its cytotoxicity, or ability to harm eukaryotic cells (cells containing a nucleus).
The researchers found that MMS could reliably destroy harmful bacteria, and even break up bacterial biofilms, hardened clusters of bacteria that are typically more resistant to antibiotics. But the doses required for this effectiveness appear to be toxic to human cells, while insect larvae exposed to the compound often die. MMS also killed probiotic bacteria, suggesting that it may disturb the body’s normal microbiome.
The findings suggest that MMS “when applied in humans may cause damage to the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract,” the researchers wrote.
a poisonous cure
The researchers acknowledge that it may theoretically be possible to create a form of acidic sodium chlorite helpful against bacteria that is not harmful to people. But this is certainly not the version that people are adopting today. And like other experts, he too is advising everyone not to get carried away by the hype beyond MMS.
“In pharmacy and medicine, the benefit-risk ratio is considered. In the case of MMS, the benefit is zero, and the risk is high, especially since the dosage is often administered using non-standardized droppers, which can yield 1 ml by applying 15 or 30 drops. Such fluctuations in the oral dose of a corrosive substance are extremely irresponsible,” said study author Ruth. said Dudek-Vischer, a pharmacologist specializing in microbiology and parasitology. A statement from the university.
As the old saying goes: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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