Chlorine dioxide and Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS): why it’s so dangerous

If an online product claims it can cure everything, it’s almost certainly too good to be true.

A particularly dangerous example is chlorine dioxide, which is frequently promoted under labels such as "Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)" or "aerobic oxygen" - catchy terms designed to evoke health and vitality.

The reality is stark: these products can make you violently unwell within hours, and in some instances the outcome can be fatal.

Chlorine dioxide (MMS): what it is and how it’s marketed

Despite what the branding implies, MMS is not simply bleach. Household bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, while MMS contains sodium chlorite - a different chemical, but no less toxic.

Once swallowed, sodium chlorite can cause methaemoglobinaemia, where red blood cells lose their capacity to carry oxygen. It can also set off haemolysis (the destruction of red blood cells), which may then lead to kidney failure and death.

When sodium chlorite comes into contact with acid (including stomach acid), it is converted into chlorine dioxide, a bleaching agent. Chlorine dioxide has potent antimicrobial action: it can destroy bacteria, fungi and even viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.

That is why it is widely used to disinfect dental equipment and hospital instruments, including endoscopes. Its ability to kill more than 400 species of bacteria makes it valuable for cleaning purposes - but not for use inside the human body.

What happens when you ingest it

The lining of the mouth and oesophagus has multiple layers of cells, which offers some protection. By contrast, the stomach and intestines are much more exposed. Their lining is only a single cell thick to allow efficient nutrient absorption - but that same design makes them highly vulnerable to injury.

This is why swallowing chlorine dioxide commonly causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. In severe cases, the chemical can erode the gut lining and cause bowel perforation - a medical emergency associated with a high risk of death.

Using MMS as an enema is just as hazardous. Chlorine dioxide can drive excessive production of reactive oxygen species - unstable molecules that damage cells and are linked with chronic intestinal conditions. This kind of cellular stress may help to explain both the rapid onset of symptoms and the longer-term harm described in case reports.

It doesn't make a good mouthwash, either

Some vendors argue that MMS can be used safely in the mouth because related chemicals appear in dental cleaning products. However, clinical trials indicate it is no more effective than other mouthwashes, and its oxidising action does not discriminate between harmful microbes and healthy cells.

Yes, it might reduce bad breath for a short time, but it also interferes with protein synthesis, damages cell membranes, and disrupts the gut microbiome - the community of beneficial bacteria we depend on for digestion and immune function.

The harm is not limited to the digestive tract. Chlorine dioxide can also affect the cardiovascular system. Reported dangers include low blood pressure, fainting and damage to the heart and circulation - including stroke and shock.

In some instances, it has been linked to a serious blood disorder called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This condition involves abnormal clotting followed by severe bleeding, with the potential for organ failure, stroke and death.

Chlorine dioxide is also an irritant to the airways. Breathing it in can inflame the nose, throat and lungs, and - particularly with repeated workplace exposure - may lead to respiratory distress.

Research involving factory workers shows that even low exposures can cause nasal inflammation, coughing and difficulty breathing. Some patients who drank chlorine dioxide to "treat" COVID-19 have also developed severe chemical injuries to the lungs.

Risks to the brain, hormones and skin

Animal research suggests chlorine dioxide may damage the nervous system, contributing to developmental delays, reduced movement and slower brain growth. It also appears to affect the thyroid, which could lead to hormonal disruption and delayed puberty.

Beyond that, some people who ingest chlorine dioxide develop cerebral salt wasting syndrome - a disorder in which the kidneys lose excessive sodium, causing frequent urination, dehydration and dangerously low blood volume.

Contact with the skin is not harmless either. Chlorine dioxide can irritate the skin, and laboratory studies show it can kill skin cells at high concentrations. People who have applied it for fungal infections have, instead, ended up with chemical dermatitis.

Chlorine dioxide does have legitimate uses for disinfecting hospital instruments, dental equipment and water supplies. But this does not mean it belongs in your body. Many of its alleged "benefits" are drawn from laboratory experiments or animal studies - not from safe, approved clinical trials in humans.

There is no evidence that drinking it cures any disease. There is overwhelming evidence that it can injure or kill you.

So if you’re drawn to a product promising miracles, dressed up in scientific-sounding language and sold without proper regulation, pause before you act. The risks are real - and they are serious.

Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy, Lancaster University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.