Miracle Mineral Supplement

Miracle Mineral Supplement
ClaimsInternal use of industrial bleaching agent chlorine dioxide will cure most diseases.
Original proponentsJim Humble
(Overview of pseudoscientific concepts)

Miracle Mineral Supplement, often referred to as Miracle Mineral Solution, Master Mineral Solution, MMS or the CD protocol,[1] is a branded name for an aqueous solution of chlorine dioxide, an industrial bleaching agent, that has been falsely promoted as a cure for illnesses including HIV, cancer and the common cold. It is made by mixing aqueous sodium chlorite with an acid (such as the juices of citrus fruits or vinegar). This produces chlorine dioxide, a toxic chemical that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure due to dehydration.[2]

Sodium chlorite, the main precursor to chlorine dioxide, is itself toxic if ingested.[3][4] It causes acute kidney failure in high doses.[5] Lower doses (~1 gram) can be expected to cause nausea, vomiting, inflammation of the intestines (producing so-called "rope worms") and even life-threatening reactions in persons with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has set a maximum level of 0.8 mg/L for chlorine dioxide in drinking water.[6] Naren Gunja, director of the New South Wales, Australia Poisons Information Centre, has stated that using the product is "a bit like drinking concentrated bleach" and that users have displayed symptoms consistent with corrosive injuries, such as vomiting, stomach pains, and diarrhea.[7][8]

The name was coined by former Scientologist[9] Jim Humble in his 2006 self-published book, The Miracle Mineral Solution of the 21st Century.[10] Humble claims that the chemical can cure HIV, malaria, hepatitis viruses, the H1N1 flu virus, common colds, autism, acne, cancer and other illnesses. There have been no clinical trials to test these claims, and they come only from anecdotal reports and Humble's book.[11][12] In January 2010, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that one vendor admitted that they do not repeat any of Humble's claims in writing to circumvent regulations against using it as a medicine.[13] Sellers sometimes describe MMS as a water purifier to circumvent medical regulations.[14] The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies rejected "in the strongest terms" reports by promoters of MMS that they had used the product to fight malaria.[15] In 2016, Humble said that MMS "cures nothing".[16] In August 2019, the Food and Drug Administration repeated a 2010 warning against using MMS products, describing it as "the same as drinking bleach".[2]

  1. ^ Stefan Sirucek (12 March 2015). "The Parents Who Give Their Children Bleach Enemas to 'Cure' Them of Autism". VICE. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  2. ^ a b Food and Drug Administration (12 August 2019). "FDA warns consumers about the dangerous and potentially life threading side effects of Miracle Mineral Solution". fda.gov. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Sodium Chlorite - Summary Report of the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products - Veterinary Medicines Evaluation Unit" (PDF). European Medicines Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 July 2007.
  4. ^ "Health risks associated with use of Miracle Mineral Solution". Health Canada. 12 May 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  5. ^ Lin JL, Lim PS (1993). "Acute sodium chlorite poisoning associated with renal failure". Ren Fail. 15 (5): 645–8. doi:10.3109/08860229309069417. PMID 8290712.
  6. ^ "ATSDR - ToxFAQs™: Chlorine Dioxide & Chlorite". www.atsdr.cdc.gov.
  7. ^ Jensen E (9 January 2010). "Deadly chemical being sold as miracle cure". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  8. ^ Mole B (14 August 2019). "People are still drinking bleach—and vomiting and pooping their guts out". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference ne&ya was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Robbins M (15 September 2010). "The man who encourages the sick and dying to drink industrial bleach". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  11. ^ "F.D.A. Warning letter". Food and Drug Administration.
  12. ^ Calligeros M (24 April 2009). "Backyard cancer 'healer' deceived patients". The Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  13. ^ Harvey S (24 January 2010). "'Miracle' chemical dubbed a danger". The Sunday Star-Times. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  14. ^ Jensen E (9 January 2010). "Deadly chemical being sold as miracle cure". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  15. ^ "IFRC strongly dissociates from the claim of a 'miracle' solution to defeat malaria" (Press release). International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 15 May 2013. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  16. ^ Galli C (29 October 2016). "Fringe 'Church' Founder on MMS: It's No Cure". ABCNews.com. Retrieved 21 May 2019.