How Bad is Botox for You Compared to Eating Out?

Many patients ask about botulotoxin harm and whether there are long-term consequences to getting the treatment. Without a doubt, this is a complicated question requiring looking at long-term research. I find myself making better-informed decisions when having at least a couple of data points to compare. In the blog, I compared the health consequences of Botox and eating out.

Botulinum toxin, often shortened to BoNT, is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and related species. It prevents the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from axon endings at the neuromuscular junction, thus causing flaccid paralysis. So how is it that we inject toxins into our faces?

Only 36 cases (Coté et al) of adverse effects associated with cosmetic use were reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1989 and 2003. Thirteen of these cases may have had more to do with an underlying condition than with the drug itself.

With that in mind, some researchers speculate that cosmetic applications may carry less risk than therapeutic Botox injections because the doses are usually much smaller.

Commercially prepared food, on the other hand, may impose many more health risks than ever imagined. I am not even mentioning a glass or two of wine with dinner.

When Americans eat out at any type of eatery, they consume more fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories than they do at home, according to data the federal government collected in its National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

A new study just published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics contains some troubling news for people who have become addicted to take-out over the course of the last year. According to the research, which analyzed 15 years of dietary behavior among more than 35,000 adults aged 20 and older, “frequent consumption” of restaurant-made meals is strongly linked to early death.
So what is worse? Getting microdoses of botox or slowly neglecting your health by eating unhealthy?

Coté TR, Mohan AK, Polder JA, Walton MK, Braun MM. Botulinum toxin type A injections: adverse events reported to the US Food and Drug Administration in therapeutic and cosmetic cases. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005 Sep;53(3):407-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2005.06.011. PMID: 16112345.

William Mayle, This One Eating Habit Raises Your Risk of Early Death by 50%. Published on March 28, 2021.