People Are Apparently Drinking Hydrogen Peroxide For ‘Health Benefits’

America, I thought we were past the toxic ingestion thing with Tide Pods. But it seems like we’ve got another problem now, because folks are now drinking hydrogen peroxide because of some ill-perceived “health benefits.”

I believe this is the cure for all diseases including cancer 😇 https://t.co/ZTSpSMT5OU

— Darron McKinney (@darronmckinney) May 7, 2018

Beat cancer with hydrogen peroxide https://t.co/c4445kJb9y #cancer #natural #holistic #health pic.twitter.com/rCCL7IvA2d

— HealthRanger (@HealthRanger) April 29, 2017

If you take a look on the internet and social media, there’s plenty of people who claim that hydrogen peroxide, or H₂O₂, is good for you. Their reasoning behind that claim includes that it “only comes from water and oxygen” and “boosts oxygen levels in the body.” Some even go as far as to say it can cure cancer.

However, there is no scientific evidence to back this up, as Poison Control puts it. Searching for research articles on the subject turns up cases of people who suffered internal damage, including in the brain, upon consuming hydrogen peroxide. Nothing shows up when looking for health benefits.

Drinking hydrogen peroxide as a “natural cure or remedy” can be life-threatening, according to health experts. https://t.co/nNug5UTwDx pic.twitter.com/AJcUqwFunO

— WebMD (@WebMD) February 11, 2017

Even though this has been debunked in the past, it seems that people are keen to keep on trying. The California Poison Control Center just had to put out an alert asking people to stop drinking the poison. According to CBS Sacramento, the department has been getting numerous calls from people asking if it’s okay to consume hydrogen peroxide for health reasons.

Now, the stuff in your medicine cabinet is about 1-3% H₂O₂, and that can cause some irritation problems. There’s also “food-grade” versions that are much more concentrated, at 35%. You’re supposed to only use a couple of drops with a ton of water according to those that advertise its “benefits,” but unfortunately that doesn’t always happen. Symptoms of ingesting too much range from mild stomach pain and nausea to severe tissue damage and even death.

Don’t make hydrogen peroxide the new Tide Pods, folks, and stay off of it. If you do ingest some on accident, make sure to contact Poison Control.