10 'Alternative Medicines' That Will Do Some Serious Damage

1. Miracle Mineral Solution

When you think of alternative medicines, images of herbs, crystals and reiki often spring to mind. What you probably don't think of is parents feeding their children bleach.

The Miracle Mineral Solution, or MMS, is an alternative remedy that is claimed to be able to cure ailments as wide ranging as AIDS, cancer and autism. You can whip it up at home using 28% sodium chlorite solution and an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar, which produces an industrial strength bleach that you're then supposed to drink or even administer rectally (yep, that's up the butt again).

This can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe dehydration and is potentially fatal. It also goes without saying that this has literally no effect on any of the conditions it is intended to treat, not least because these conditions have virtually no pathological similarities and are not caused by the same thing.

Jim Humble, the nut who invented this "cure all", categorically failed to live up to his name by claiming he could heal people with his hands and comparing himself to Jesus of Nazareth. Not to say that you definitely shouldn't take advice from this guy, but you definitely shouldn't take advice from this guy.

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