After a botulism scare in Georgia, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reminding people to make sure to refrigerate their carrot juice. Botulism is caused by botulinum toxin, which is produced by soil bacteria that can survive in the carrot juice even after pasteurization. When carrot juice is left at room temperature for extended periods of time, the toxin can be produced and can cause botulism when the juice is consumed. So, if you’re experiencing double-vision, droopy eyes, or paralysis, and you’ve recently had some carrot juice that you opened and left on the kitchen counter for a month, you just might have botulism. Go to the emergency room. Now.

Botulinum toxin is the most dangerous substance known, according to many doctors and scientists. Fortunately for modern medicine, it has been found that injecting very small amounts of the toxin can prevent excess muscle contractions, while still allowing some voluntary control of muscles. This can be an effective treatment for patients with spasmodic dysphonia, a speech disorder caused by uncontrollable muscle contractions. Public radio personality Diane Rehm, who is famously afflicted with this rare speech disorder, has regular botulinum toxin injections to keep her voice under control. This can also be effective for treating other disorders caused by excessive muscle contractions.

For Hollywood, botulinum toxin, also known as Botox, has been both a success and a failure. The treatment can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, making aging faces look temporarily younger and more camera-ready. Celebrities who have admitted to using Botox include David Hasselhoff and Virginia Madsen.

Despite the reduction in wrinkles, many complain that Botox use can result in a lack of facial expressions. This has fueled the “did they or didn’t they” debate among celebrity gossipers, and has caused many celebrities to publicly swear against using the cosmetic. Among celebrities that have denied and decried Botox injections are Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet.

A current study is investigating whether Botox can be used to treat majorly depressed patients by turning their frowns upside down. Dermatologist Eric Finzi hypothesized that the physical expression of a frown may manifest itself in the person’s mood. So, if the patients were unable to frown, their moods may improve. Believe it or not, nine out of ten patients in the small initial trial reported no depression after treatment. Could this also be the “you have to look good to feel good” effect? Larger studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of this treatment.

Another recent study has voiced concern that some patients may become addicted to Botox treatments. The study found that the motives of 40 percent of Botox patients could be considered “compulsive” and presented a checklist for plastic surgeons to use to assess whether a patient is becoming dependent upon the treatment.

So, love it or hate it, Botox seems like it’s here to stay. But many health scientists will warn you that the long-term effects of Botox treatment are still unknown. And whatever you do, don’t leave the carrot juice out of the fridge. Especially not if you’re planning on injecting it around your eyes and forehead. It just won’t work - and you could end up in the hospital all orange and splochy.