(WHDH) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning the public not to purchase or drink a chlorine dioxide solution that is being sold online and marketed as a remedy for treating autism, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and flu.
The products, which are often labeled Miracle Mineral Solution, Miracle Mineral Supplement, MMS, Chlorine Dioxide Protocol, and Water Purification Solution, among other names, have not been approved by federal regulators, according to a news release.
The solution can develop into a dangerous bleach when mixed, officials said. It can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening side effects.
“The FDA’s drug approval process ensures that patients receive safe and effective drug products. Miracle Mineral Solution and similar products are not FDA-approved, and ingesting these products is the same as drinking bleach,” FDA Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless warned. “Consumers should not use these products, and parents should not give these products to their children for any reason.”
The FDA says it has recently received many reports of people experiencing severe vomiting, severe diarrhea, life-threatening low blood pressure caused by dehydration and acute liver failure after drinking these products.
Sites selling the products claimed the solution is 28 percent sodium chlorite in distilled water. Directions instruct consumers to mix the sodium chlorite solution with citric acids, such as lemon or lime juice, according to the FDA. When the acid is added, the mixture becomes chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleaching agent.
At this time, the FDA says it is not aware of any scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of the products.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)