Some products out there that are being marketed as potential healers could actually cause you great harm. Case in point: high-strength hydrogen peroxide for internal use.
The FDA has put out a warning about two products labeled as “35% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide,” which are sold by the Texan companies DFWX and Frad 35, Inc. Note that there are many other companies out there touting the same type of product and these are to be regarded with the same amount of skepticism as the two marketers targeted by the FDA.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a liquid that looks like water, but that is slightly thicker. You’re probably already familiar with low-grade hydrogen peroxide (three percent), which is the stuff you can buy at your local pharmacy that works as an external antiseptic and household disinfectant.
The more potent, less diluted substance — the 35% form — is sold primarily through the Internet as a tonic to be ingested or injected for many conditions, including cancer, AIDS, sinusitis, colds and flu, Epstein Barr virus, gangrene, high cholesterol, angina, stroke, emphysema, asthma, arthritis, allergies, and back problems.
The FDA has taken issue with these claims, admonishing the two companies and warning the public. Basically, 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide is considered to be a drug, due to the medical claims made by the marketers. However, none of these assertions of health benefits have been proven in clinical trials, which is required for any drug to be approved. Furthermore, the product labels do not meet FDA standards, and the web sites of the companies are charged with making misleading and/or false statements.
Most importantly, the FDA wants you to know that drinking or injecting yourself with this highly concentrated form of hydrogen peroxide could be extremely harmful and possibly even lethal. Don’t be fooled by the term “food grade” — it’s not safe to put this stuff into your body.
According to the government agency, when taken internally, these corrosive products could irritate the gastrointestinal system or cause painful ulcers. When injected, the hydrogen peroxide solution could create inflammation at the point of injection, “gas emboli,” and fatal allergic reactions. A gas emboli is when gas bubbles get into the bloodstream and block circulation, bringing on unconsciousness and other complications caused by a lack of oxygen.
If you are currently drinking or injecting 35% hydrogen peroxide, stop doing so immediately and see your doctor right away. If you were considering using the product, wait until actual studies have been done on its potential effects, both negative and positive. We don’t yet know if this substance can live up to any of the claims made by the marketers — but we do know that it can be very harmful when ingested. So, obviously, the wise move is to wait and see.