Rung Five
Myths and everyday exposures
Unclear

Chlorine dioxide (MMS)

"Miracle Mineral Solution", sodium chlorite drops. Claimed cures.

Also called or includes: Miracle Mineral Solution, Sodium chlorite, Chlorine dioxide cancer protocol, Sodium chlorite cancer protocol

Safety: Drinking it is like drinking bleach: severe vomiting, diarrhea, dangerously low blood pressure and, the FDA reports, liver failure and deaths.
Verdict
UnclearThere isn't enough human evidence to say either way.
How sure
Rung 1 · UnprovenLab or animal data only, or never directly tested in people.

The rung shows how sure the science is, not how big the effect is. How to read these ratings

Cancers affected

None

What the evidence shows

Sold as a cure for cancer and many other diseases, MMS is sodium chlorite that turns into chlorine dioxide, an industrial bleach, when it is mixed or swallowed. The FDA has approved it for no medical use, and people who drank it have been hospitalized and some have died. Its sellers were sent to federal prison in 2023.

What to do

Never drink or use it. If you have, tell your doctor.

Sources

FDA: sellers of "Miracle Mineral Solution" (chlorine dioxide) sentenced, October 2023Ohio State University Chow Line: FDA warns consumers to stop drinking sodium chlorite products
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Related

Every myth and exposure we rated, or follow one cancer step by step: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer.