As infections with flu-like illnesses continue to rise amid the rainy season, a Reel on Facebook (FB) is erroneously claiming that malunggay seeds can cure a myriad of illnesses including heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, and cancer. This is not true.
A verified FB user published the video on Sept. 22, and continues to circulate this week. The following text was shown throughout the 27-second clip:
A digitally-generated voiceover claimed that chewing one malunggay seed a day and drinking water right after can heal a person with serious and complex ailments.
An expert in herbal medicine told VERA Files Fact Check that the claim appears to be based on “folklore”. There are no studies definitively stating that eating malunggay seeds alone are effective against the above-mentioned illnesses.
Dr. Cecilia Maramba-Lazarte, director of the Institute of Herbal Medicine under the National Institutes of Health at the University of the Philippines Manila, told VERA Files Fact Check in an Oct. 23 email that there is little evidence to support the Reel’s claim.
“The video seems to be based on folkloric use only and has little scientific basis,” she said.
Maramba-Lazarte said scientific studies have been done on the medicinal properties of the malunggay plant. In clinical trials, the plant’s leaves show promise for lactation in breastfeeding mothers. However, more research needs to be performed for other diseases, she added.
A keyword search on the Philippine Traditional Knowledge Digital Library on Health also did not show any record of malunggay seeds being used to cure the litany of illnesses mentioned in the Reel. But other parts of the malunggay plant – like its leaves and stems – have been documented to be used as a traditional treatment for wounds, high blood pressure, ulcers and more.
The Reel, posted by a verified FB user, has since garnered over 17,300 reactions, 570 comments, 6,300 shares and 1.3 million views.
Have you seen any dubious claims, photos, memes, or online posts that you want us to verify? Fill out this reader request form or send it to VERA, the truth bot on Viber.
(Editor's Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)