Borax – The banished “cure”

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined and processed into various boron compounds. The main deposits are in Turkey and California. Chemically correct names are sodium tetraborate decahydrate, disodium tetraborate decahydrate, or simply sodium borate. Disodium tetraborate decahydrate means: Borax consists of two sodium atoms, a core of four boron atoms, and ten (sometimes fewer) molecules of water of crystallization. Borax is therefore the sodium salt of the weak boric acid. Due to the sodium, borax solution has a pH of 9-10 (pH 7 is neutral), making it strongly alkaline.

In the stomach, borax reacts with hydrochloric acid to form boric acid and sodium chloride. Boron compounds are rapidly and almost completely excreted in the urine. Borax contains 11,3 percent boron, while boric acid contains 17,5 percent. Boric acid was once widely used to preserve food. It is now banned for this purpose in most countries – trade in boric acid is prohibited in Australia and other countries.

health effect

Borax and boric acid essentially have the same effect: they are strong disinfectants, particularly against fungi and viruses, but only weakly antibacterial. In plants and animals, boron is essential for the stability and functionality of cell walls and for the transmission of signals across cell membranes. Boron is stored throughout the body. The highest concentration is found in the parathyroid glands, followed by bones and tooth enamel. Boron is essential for healthy bones and joints. Through its effect on the parathyroid glands, it regulates the absorption and metabolism of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Boron is therefore equally important for the parathyroid glands.

Boron deficiency causes hyperactivity of the parathyroid glands, which then secrete too much of their hormone. This hormone releases calcium from the bones and teeth, causing calcium levels to rise in the blood. This leads to osteoarthritis and other forms of arthritis and arthritis, as well as osteoporosis and tooth damage. With increasing age, high calcium levels lead to calcification of soft tissue, causing muscle tension and joint stiffness. Likewise, calcification of the arteries and endocrine glands, particularly the pineal gland and ovaries, also occurs. Kidney stones and kidney calcification can also occur, ultimately leading to kidney failure. Boron deficiency in combination with magnesium deficiency is particularly harmful to bones and teeth.

Boron influences the metabolism of steroid hormones, especially sex hormones. In men, it increases testosterone levels, and in women during menopause, it increases estrogen levels. It is also involved in the conversion of vitamin D into its active form. It helps the body better store calcium in bones and teeth, rather than causing calcification in soft tissue. Other positive effects have also been reported. These include improvements in heart problems and psoriasis, strengthening of vision, balance, and memory, and improving cognitive performance.

The German cancer researcher Dr. Paul-Gerhard Seeger was able to show that cancer usually begins with the deterioration of cell membranes. Because boron is so important for the function of cell membranes, the widespread boron deficiency today could be a serious trigger for tumor growth. Boron compounds have tumor-inhibiting properties and are "potent agents against osteoporosis and inflammation. They have hypolipidemic, anticoagulant effects and prevent tissue degeneration." Even this brief overview illustrates the comprehensive influence of boron on our health. I would like to describe some aspects in more detail below.

Rex Newnham's Osteoarthritis Cure

In the 1960s, osteopath and naturopath Dr. Rex Newnham was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. At the time, he was working as a soil and plant scientist at the University of Perth in Australia. Conventional medicine was ineffective. Through his knowledge of plant biochemistry, he discovered the cause of the disease. He had noticed that the plants in his area had severe mineral deficiencies, and he knew that boron supports calcium metabolism in plants. So he decided to try taking 30 milligrams of borax per day. Within three weeks, his pain, swelling, and joint stiffness had disappeared.

He reported his discovery to health authorities and medical schools, but no one there was interested. Other osteoarthritis patients, however, were enthusiastic about its effects. Some, however, were afraid to take something with a poison warning on the packaging and actually intended for ants and cockroaches. Newnham eventually had tablets manufactured with a safe and effective dose of borax. Through word of mouth alone, he sold 10 bottles of tablets a month for the next five years. When he could no longer handle the demand, he commissioned a drug manufacturer to market it. This was a serious mistake. He was told that his product would displace more expensive medications and reduce the industry's profits (The Pharmaceutical Industry: The Business of Our Health).

In 1981, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry on the Australian health committees succeeded in getting a regulation passed declaring boron and boron compounds toxic, regardless of concentration. Newnham was fined $1000 for selling toxic substances, and the distribution of his osteoarthritis medication in Australia was effectively halted. He subsequently published several scientific articles on borax and osteoarthritis. One described a double-blind trial conducted at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in the mid-1980s. Seventy percent of participants who completed the trial experienced significant improvement in their symptoms, compared to only 70 percent in the placebo group. No adverse side effects occurred. However, some patients reported that their heart problems had also improved. Overall, an improved general well-being and less fatigue were noted.

Newnham's further research focused primarily on the connection between osteoarthritis and soil boron content. For example, he discovered that the soils of traditional sugarcane islands contain very little boron due to the long-term, massive use of fertilizers. Jamaica has the lowest levels, and in fact, 70 percent of the population suffers from osteoarthritis. Newnham noticed that even most dogs there limp. In Mauritius, the soils are also very poor in boron, and the osteoarthritis rate is 50 percent. The population of these countries consumes less than one milligram of boron per day. The comparison between the native population of Fiji and the immigrant Indians is interesting. The osteoarthritis rate among the Indian inhabitants is estimated at around 40 percent. They consume a lot of rice, which is grown with the help of fertilizers. In contrast, the indigenous population (XNUMX percent osteoarthritis rate) eats mainly starchy root vegetables, which are grown privately and without the use of fertilizers.

Soils in the USA, England, Australia, and New Zealand generally have average boron levels. The population consumes approximately one to two milligrams of boron per day, and the rate of osteoarthritis is around 20 percent. However, the soil and drinking water in the town of Carnavon in Western Australia have high boron levels. Only one percent of the population suffers from osteoarthritis. The situation is similar in a town called Ngawha Springs in New Zealand. The mineral spring there is high in boron and is considered beneficial for osteoarthritis. In fact, all spas for joint diseases have very high boron levels. In Israel, too, the levels are well above average—the population there consumes an estimated five to eight milligrams of boron per day and has a very low rate of osteoarthritis at 0,5-1 percent.

Bone analyses have shown that osteoarthritis-affected joints and the adjacent bones contain only half as much boron as healthy joints. Likewise, synovial fluid—the "joint capsule lubricant" that also supplies nutrients to the cartilage—has a low boron content when the joint is affected by osteoarthritis. Supplementing with boron made the bones significantly harder than usual, and surgeons had greater difficulty sawing through them during operations. With supplemental boron, bone fractures heal in about half the time in humans and animals. Horses and dogs with broken legs, even hip fractures, recovered completely.

Borax is also effective against other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, and lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus). For example, Dr. Newnham treated a nine-month-old patient suffering from juvenile arthritis. He was able to cure her within two weeks.

The attack on Borax

Approximately 30 percent of the population in Western countries suffers from various forms of arthritis and osteoarthritis, as well as the related condition osteoporosis. Due to the high incidence of bone fractures, osteoporosis is responsible for more long-term hospital stays than any other disease. Hip fractures, in particular, require a long time to heal. This represents a significant source of income for the medical and pharmaceutical industries. If the boron and magnesium therapeutic approach were to become widely known, this source could dry up, and the system would collapse. Because this is the world's largest and most profitable industry, this obviously cannot be allowed to happen.

When Dr. Newnham discovered his osteoarthritis treatment, it wasn't initially a big problem for drug manufacturers. News traveled slowly and was easily suppressed. Today, thanks to the internet, the situation has changed fundamentally. The pharmaceutical industry funds a large portion of the research. So far, there has been no effort from this side to reproduce Dr. Newnham's results or other positive studies. Instead, money is flowing into the development of patentable boron drugs with limited applications, such as chemotherapy, or into research to discredit boron. For example, a test-tube experiment showed that a relatively low dose of borax, four grams, can damage lymphocytes. An earlier such study, incidentally, showed that vitamin C supplements are toxic. Most positive borax studies today come from China, Japan, and Turkey.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence, all steps are now in place to quickly withdraw borax and boric acid from the market worldwide. Even the low-dose and less effective boron tablets are strictly monitored by the pharmaceutical industry. Their sale can be restricted at any time by regulations in the Codex Alimentarius. The pharmaceutical industry has thus brought all the dangers posed by borax under control, securing its profits and survival.

Borax – The banished “cure”