In recent weeks, they went viral on Facebook 2 videos of supposed doctors that give advice for treating health problems: one of them presents a “powerful natural remedy to eliminate pain in the knee and bones”, while the other states that “cancer is a fungus and is killed with baking soda” . However, both the specialists and different studies consulted by Checked They confirmed that both claims are false. In addition, some indications indicate that the videos could be made with artificial intelligence.
The viral pieces have accumulated a total of more than 2 million views, more than 40 thousand “likes” and nearly 18 thousand “shares.”
There is no scientific evidence that a carrot, banana, onion and turmeric smoothie can cure bone pain
“Today I share with you a powerful natural remedy to eliminate pain in the knee and bones.” so it begins a viral video circulating on Facebook, in which a doctor explains the steps to prepare “a carrot, banana, red onion and turmeric smoothie” that “completely” eliminates knee and bone pain. “Add 200 ml of water and mix everything. Drink a glass every morning on an empty stomach. You will notice the results before the first month,” the piece concludes.
The supposed professional in the video is an avatar created with some digital tool, but it also has a peculiarity. Both the face and the voice belong to Frank Suárez, a wellness guru who died in 2021, known for “researching the topic of metabolism” and for founding the company NaturalSlim in 1998, according to his official biography. However, a search among the videos available on his YouTube channel, “MetabolismoTV,” – using keywords such as “juices,” “knees,” and “bones” – yields no results for the Suárez video in question.
Furthermore, different specialists confirmed to Checked that There is no scientific evidence that drinking a carrot, banana, red onion and turmeric smoothie every morning will cure knee and bone pain.
Gustavo Citera, head of the Rheumatology section of the Psychophysical Rehabilitation Institute (IREP) and former president of the Argentine Society of Rheumatology (SAR), commented to this medium: “It is a false statement. There is no scientific, randomized and controlled study that allows us to confirm this. These are popular beliefs that natural products can benefit the control of rheumatic symptoms, but there is no evidence to affirm this.”
For the gastroenterologist Fabio Nachman, current head of the Gastroenterology Service at the Favaloro Foundation University Hospital and former president of the Argentine Society of Gastroenterology (SAGE), this type of advice does not have any type of endorsement. “Obviously they are pseudoscientific recommendations,” remarked the co-author of the book “Our digestive health” in his conversation with Checked.
“The veracity of any statement in the field of science must be based on evidence, that is, by carrying out valid medical trials and publishing their results. And there is no scientific evidence that affirms the assertion of this Facebook video,” María Celina de la Vega, head of Rheumatology at the Argerich Hospital and former president of the Argentine Society of Rheumatology (SAR), told this medium.
So, does taking the recommended shake – or any other game – serve to eliminate some type of discomfort? “Not all knee pain is the same and not all bone pain is the same. There are different causes and different reasons. So we cannot think that a natural preparation can relieve any pain,” Citera said.
For his part, Nachman highlighted: “There are foods that are antioxidants or that provide minerals, but this does not mean that if a food provides minerals it will be good for osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and osteopenia. The foods mentioned in the video are beneficial, they are still healthy and many diets should be based on them.” However, “that does not diminish the issue of bodily pain.”
De la Vega added: “Although all fruits, vegetables and foods in general have nutrients and vitamins, none specifically have pain-inhibiting properties, so in the event of any persistent pain, a doctor should be consulted to determine the origin of the ailment.”
Cancer is not caused by a fungus nor can it be cured with baking soda
The second video spread on Facebook assures that “cancer is a fungus and is killed with baking soda. I’m not saying this, the Italian oncologist doctor Tulio Simonsini said it” (sic). This viral piece shows an animated doctor speaking in front of the screen, although in this case from Checked no evidence found that the face belongs to a public figure.
The video circulating on Facebook has the watermark of a TikTok user, @octoviad. There, the user has published various videos of supposed doctors with magical advice to treat different ailments.
The statement is false. Cancer is not a fungus, since it arises from genetic mutations that cause disordered growth of the body’s cells, and there is no scientific evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of baking soda to combat it.. This has been confirmed in recent years by various verification organizations and media in the region, such as ColombiaCheck (Colombia), Magnifying glass (Brazil) and Political Animal (Mexico).
Misinformation was born from the book “Cancer is a fungus. “A revolution in tumor therapy”, published in 2005 by former Italian doctor Tullio Simoncini. “Simoncini is a former Italian doctor retired from the medical association and convicted in 2018 of manslaughter and abusive practice of the profession,” explained Carlo Canepa, editorial manager of Pagella Politica – member of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN), as Checked-. This was reported at the time by different Italian media (as can be seen here, here and here).
As indicated by ColombiaCheck, when doing a search on recent research or scientific articles related to the use of baking soda, there are no results that ensure that cancer can be cured with baking soda. For his part, a clinical study conducted in China in 2020 mentions the usefulness of bicarbonate when combined with other medications in a specific type of chemotherapy. “However, a large-scale clinical trial is necessary to test and verify this hypothesis,” the research concludes.
Meanwhile, from the National Cancer Institute (INC), which depends on the Ministry of Health of the Nation, they explain that Cancer is a large group of diseases that begin in cells. “Normally, cells grow and divide to produce new ones that are essential to keep us healthy. Sometimes this process gets out of control: new cells continue to form when the body does not need them and old ones do not die when they should, forming a mass of tissue called a tumor.
“Malignant tumors are cancerous, since their cells have abnormalities, they divide uncontrollably, they can invade and destroy the tissue around them, enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system and spread to other organs,” details the organization.
Cancer can be treated with surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or biological therapy. “The doctor may use one method or a combination of these, based on the patient’s age and general health, the type and location of the cancer, and the level of extent of the disease, among other factors,” it states. This way, In none of these treatments is sodium bicarbonate indicated as a medicine to cure or treat the condition.
How to guard against edited videos that spread misinformation
Various indications in the videos indicate that they could have been made with artificial intelligence. For example, the voice of the supposed doctors does not match the movement of their mouths, and the facial and body gestures of the 2 men seem robotic.
Additionally, on Instagram, the account “@doctorsadvice.ai” publishes videos similar to the verified ones, with images of supposed doctors giving health advice. But his name, “ai”, refers to artificial intelligence (in English). There, supposed doctors appear – avatars with a gown and stethoscope – providing recommendations in front of the screen.
As explained Checked in this note, the deepfakes are videos synthetically generated with technology based on artificial intelligence (AI) with the aim of creating false but realistic sequences, in which It seeks to modify the physical appearance and even the voice of people and make them say or do something they never said or did.
Although in Argentina they have not yet gone viral deepfakes disinformative and viral, yes many have done cheapfakes (cheap adulterations). These are videos that are manipulated, edited or decontextualized with the aim of spreading misinformation.
First of all, it is advisable to make a reverse search of the content to find if any legitimate sites published more information about that video or its content that could help find its origin.
In the specific case of animated and fake doctor videos, health professionals agree on a series of recommendations to take into account. In this sense, rheumatologist María Cecilia de la Vega recommended in her conversation with Checked that, “when faced with videos that suggest magical solutions to complex medical problems such as pain or inflammation,” you should always consult a certified professional. “Delay in the diagnosis of many joint and bone diseases leads to future disability.”
Dr. Citera also maintains that, when in doubt, the first thing we should do is consult a doctor. And he adds: “However, if people want to check these things, what they have to do is check them on pages that are trustworthy. For example, the Argentine Society of Rheumatology (SAR) has on its website a space dedicated to patients where there are a lot of questions and data about all these things, which we are often alerted to exist. Therefore, it is important to search on these types of pages, where there is reliable and verified information.”