Several videos on Facebook (FB) are peddling a milk supplement that is supposedly a “solution” for diabetes, claiming to be certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is not. The FDA in the Philippines has issued a public health warning against the purchase and consumption of this product.
These videos, which marketed a product called “Nasure Diabetes Care,” emerged in December and continue to circulate this week. At least two FB pages published the videos and one of them bore the caption:
“Golden solution para sa diabetes, 2 baso lang sa isang araw ay makakatulong sa iyo. Dalawang baso araw-araw para sa stable na blood sugar, maiwasan ang numbness, insomnia, at serious complications. Suportado ang pancreatic health at kidney function.
(Golden solution for diabetes,. Just two glasses will help you. Drinking two glasses [of the product] a day will stabilize blood sugar, prevent numbness, insomnia and serious complications. Supports pancreatic health and kidney function.)”
Aside from regulating blood sugar levels, the supplement claims it can also prevent possible complications in several organs caused by diabetes, and strengthen bones to avoid osteoporosis.
On the website linked in one of the posts, an alleged copy of the milk supplement’s certificate of product registration (CPR) can be seen to quell the doubts on the efficacy of the health product.
At the 1:26 mark of one of the videos, an actress endorsing Nasure claimed that Nasure is U.S. FDA-approved while showing a copy of a letter bearing the letterhead and logo of the FDA in the Philippines.
Nasure Diabetes Care is not registered with either FDA in the U.S. or the Philippines. According to the U.S. FDA, it is not legal to market a dietary supplement product to treat, prevent, or cure a specific disease.
“A product sold as a dietary supplement and represented explicitly or implicitly for treatment, prevention, or cure of a specific disease or class of diseases meets the definition of a drug and is subject to regulation as a drug,” U.S. FDA stated in their FAQs on dietary supplements.
As Nasure claims to help prevent diabetes, under U.S. regulations it must be tested and certified as a drug. But it is also not listed in the database of U.S. FDA-approved drugs.
The Philippine regulatory agency, on the other hand, said in its December 2023 advisory that the product has not been issued a CPR and is not registered in the agency’s database. “Since the food supplement has not gone through an evaluation process of the FDA, the agency cannot assure its quality and safety,” it stated.
Erick Mendoza, an internist-endocrinologist and professor at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, told VERA Files Fact Check in a Jan. 11 email that milk supplements cannot be used as a “single means to lower blood sugar.”
“Diabetes mellitus is managed through combined diet, exercise, pharmacotherapy and behavioral modifications… More so, there is no adult nutritional milk formula that can cure diabetes,” he said.
Mendoza warned against buying unregistered products online as some might be preying on people with chronic conditions like diabetes. “Do not get scammed. It is better to consult your doctor and nutritionist before buying any health-related product,” he further said.
These videos emerged during the peak of the holiday season.
FB pages Nasure – Premium Diabetes Colostrum Milk Imported From USA (created on April 24, 2021) and Milkafire Philippines (Sept. 11, 2021) published the videos, collectively garnering over 41,200 reactions, 9,700 comments and 2,700 shares.
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.)