What is Borax veneta?

Borax veneta is a homeopathic remedy made from borax. Its Latin name is Natrum biboracicum, or sodium borate. It is also sold simply as Borax.

Homeopaths give it most often for sore white patches in a baby's mouth, for travel sickness, and for a fear of downward motion. It is a single remedy, not a blend.

The remedy is made by diluting borax again and again in water or alcohol, with shaking at each step. This is called serial dilution. At 30C, the strength most often sold, none of the starting borax is left.

It has a long record of use in homeopathy, but a long record is not proof that something works. Trials have not shown this remedy to do more than a placebo (a dummy pill). This page reports the tradition and the evidence side by side.

How does Borax veneta work?

Homeopathy rests on two ideas. The first is that a substance which causes symptoms in a well person can ease like symptoms in a sick one. The second is that shaking and diluting makes a remedy stronger, not weaker.

Chemistry does not support that second idea. Once you dilute past about 12C, no molecules of the starting material are left. A 30C pill holds none of the borax it was named for.

So any change you feel is most likely placebo, plus the natural course of the illness. Time and kind attention from a practitioner can also make you feel better. There is no known body pathway for the remedy itself.

What forms does Borax veneta come in?

Borax veneta comes as small sugar pills, granules, or liquid drops. Pills are the usual home form.

Strengths are shown as a number and a letter, such as 6C, 30C or 200C. The bigger the number, the more times it was diluted. Shops mostly stock 6C and 30C.

Cleaning borax, borax powder and crude borax washes are not the same thing. They are not homeopathic and they can poison a person. Never swap one for the other.

Where it comes from:

Samuel Hahnemann, who founded homeopathy, tested Borax and wrote it up in his Chronic Diseases in the 1820s and 1830s. Homeopaths in Europe and India have used it ever since.

Its classic picture is a baby with white mouth patches who cries when carried downstairs. Borax the mineral was traded from Tibet and Italy for centuries before Hahnemann took it up.

What does Borax veneta help with?

• Mouth ulcers and white patches (thrush) in babies: This is the best known use in homeopathic books. No human trial supports it. Mouth thrush in babies is usually a yeast infection and has a proper treatment, so ask a doctor or pharmacist first.
• Travel sickness and motion sickness: Homeopaths pick Borax when sickness comes on with downward motion, such as a plane landing or a car going downhill. Evidence is limited to case reports and teaching texts. Anti-sickness medicines have real trial support.
• Fear or upset from downward movement, such as swings or lifts: This is the signature symptom picture for Borax in homeopathy. It comes from remedy provings, not from trials. Nothing has tested it in people.
• Loose stools in infants during teething or thrush: Traditional homeopathic use only. Loose stools in a baby can cause dangerous water loss fast. Watch wet nappies and get medical help early.
• Jumpiness at sudden noises: Listed in homeopathic texts as part of the Borax picture. No research has looked at it. Nothing here suggests a real effect on the nerves.
• Sore nipples and feeding trouble while breastfeeding: Homeopaths use it when a baby's sore mouth makes feeding hard. There is no trial evidence. A midwife or lactation adviser can check latch and treat thrush properly.
• Vaginal discharge: Some older texts list a white, warm discharge under Borax. This is tradition, not tested evidence. New or smelly discharge should be checked by a doctor.

Which foods are rich in Borax veneta?

1. Raisins and prunes: among the richest food sources of boron
2. Almonds and hazelnuts: good boron content
3. Avocado: a well known boron source
4. Apples and pears: modest boron content

Practical Tips:

Food boron is a normal part of the diet and is not the same as taking borax or this remedy.

What are the side effects of Borax veneta?

• No effects are expected from 30C pills, as they hold no borax
• Sugar load from taking many pills a day
• Stomach upset in people who cannot handle lactose (milk sugar)
• Rare rash or itching from something in the pill
• A short flare of symptoms, called an aggravation by homeopaths, which has not been shown to be real
• From low strengths or crude borax: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, kidney harm and seizures (fits)
• The main risk is delay: using it instead of care that works

Good to know:

For 30C pills, reported problems are rare and mild. There is nothing active in them to cause harm.

The picture changes for low strengths that still hold real sodium borate, and for crude borax powder. Swallowed borax has poisoned people and has killed infants.

If you or a child swallows borax powder or a large amount of low-strength liquid, treat it as a poisoning and get help at once.

How much Borax veneta should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no dose set by research, because no trial has found an effect to dose for. Common homeopathic practice is 3 to 5 pills of 6C or 30C, or 5 drops, taken once to three times a day. Let pills melt under the tongue. Homeopaths often stop as soon as things improve. Never give mother tincture, 1X, 2X or 3X to a baby or child.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. For travel sickness, homeopaths often give a dose before setting off and again during the trip.
• With or without food: Usually taken on a clean mouth, about 15 minutes before or after food, drink, mint or toothpaste. This is custom within homeopathy, not a proven rule.
• Time to effect: No reliable answer exists, since the remedy has not been shown to beat placebo. Homeopathic books claim minutes to a few days.
• How long to take it: Homeopaths use it for short spells, often a few days. If nothing has changed in about 5 days, stop and rethink. Mouth sores that last more than 7 to 10 days, or any symptom that gets worse, need a doctor rather than a longer course.