Health

Is a video of TV personality Mark Cuban describing a "removed" "Shark Tank" episode that featured a natural cure to high blood sugar real? No, that's not true: Cuban denied the claim to Lead Stories, calling it "an obviously bad deep fake." An AI-detection tool deemed the audio from the claim 99.9 percent AI-generated. Lead Stories found that the visuals…

Does a still image in a video on social media show the cousin of "Dr. Sebi" being sentenced to prison for supposedly revealing "health secrets"? No, that's not true: A tool used to detect AI-generated images found evidence that the image of a man in an orange prison jumpsuit in a courtroom is not real and likely was created by…

Is a video showing Dr. Mehmet Oz promoting weight loss pills that help dissolve fat authentic? No, that's not true: The original video of Dr. Oz wearing the same outfit is available on the internet and he never mentions a deal for weight loss pills. The audio of his voice doesn't appear to match his lip movements, and according to…

Are all mainstream commercially branded sunscreens toxic? No, that's not true: The Food and Drug Administration regulates sunscreens to ensure they meet safety and effectiveness standards. While some sunscreens may contain ingredients that some people consider potentially harmful or irritating, all commercially branded sunscreens are not toxic in their formulation. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook…

Do "parasites, metals and viruses" cause all "diseases and illnesses," as a post on TikTok claimed? No, that's not true: An infectious disease expert told Lead Stories that the "causes of human diseases are extraordinarily varied." Besides parasites and viruses, diseases can be caused by bacterial infection, genetic influences, environmental exposures and other things. As is often the case, the…

Was the controversial wellness coach Barbara O'Neill filmed touting a supposed natural cure for diabetes? No, that's not true: A video promoting an unspecified natural cure is not authentic. The voice resembling O'Neill's was determined to be AI generated, and the whiteboard from a pre-existing footage of O'Neill giving a lecture was edited to feature a different message. The promotion…

Has the FDA approved ear magnets as a smoking cessation product? No, that's not true: A social media post claimed such a device was a "Natural, FDA approved" method for people to quit smoking. A spokesperson for the Food and Drug Administration told Lead Stories on April 30, 2024, that they were "not aware of any acupressure magnets authorized for…

Does an authentic video show naturopath Barbara O'Neill recommending oxygen pills for tiredness, as a video on Facebook claims? No, that's not true: This is not an authentic video of O'Neill, but one that appears dubbed. Lead Stories traced the clip shared on Facebook to the original video shared on YouTube. O'Neill did not make the statements expressed in the…

Did the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony feature a "figure of death holding a NEEDLE"? No, that's not true: The "figure of death" was actually a puppet of Lord Voldemort, the villain from the "Harry Potter" book series. Lord Voldemort is holding a magic wand, not a needle. Lead Stories could not find any evidence that the London Olympics had…

Can using a communal swimming pool cause HIV infection? No, that's not true: The chief medical officer of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation told Lead Stores that there are "no cases of HIV transmission" in a swimming pool. HIV is typically spread through unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing needles or syringes, or from mother to child during childbirth, breastfeeding or pregnancy. The…

Did Piers Morgan interview controversial wellness coach Barbara O'Neill about a "Diabetes Solution" on his program "Uncensored"? No, that's not true: The video circulating on social media is fabricated, using an AI voiceover to simulate a conversation between Morgan and O'Neill. The Hive Moderation detection tool determined that the video's audio track was 100 percent likely to be AI. A…

Did controversial naturopath Barbara O'Neill endorse a recipe of thyme oil said to "eliminate 97% of lung tumor cells," as a post on Facebook suggested? No, that's not true: O'Neill is the subject of a fake post on Facebook designed to look as though it belongs to O'Neill. A link in the post's comment section redirects users to an unrelated…

Did Japan declare a state of emergency over a purported increase in cancer deaths linked to COVID-19 vaccines? No, that's not true: No government websites in Japan or credible news organizations published anything about the purported "emergency" in 2024. The article that made the claim failed to cite any corroborating sources. The claim originated from an article (archived here) published…

Does eating the inside of a burnt orange mixed with brown sugar repair a person's sense of taste and smell? No, that's not true: An ear, nose and throat surgeon told Lead Stories that "no treatment ... has been shown to repair the sense of taste and smell." Restoring those two senses typically requires addressing underlying health issues, consulting with…

Does a drink recipe mixing carrots, vinegar and baking soda, along with orange and lime juice, restore eyesight within a week? No, that's not true: The claim is not supported by scientific evidence. While carrots contain vitamin A, important for eye health, and citrus fruits like oranges and limes provide vitamin C, there's no credible research demonstrating that this combination…

Are foods like Lucky Charms, Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Oreos and Gatorade facing a nationwide ban in the United States? No, that's not true: Several states, including California, have either passed or are considering legislation to ban certain food additives, but no particular foods would be outlawed. Manufacturers can reformulate to remove the additives -- potassium bromate, propylparaben or red dye…

Do Tyson Foods brand meat products contain insects and are the bugs listed on the labels, as implied by a post on Facebook? No, that's not true: In a phone interview with Lead Stories, a spokesperson for Tyson Foods responded to the social media post by saying that insects are not being added to human-grade meat products, nor does the…

Did Dr. Oz promote a weight-loss "coffee trick" endorsed by Adele? No, that's not true: A viral video making the claim utilized AI-generated sound. Lead Stories found no evidence confirming that Dr. Oz ever promoted this "coffee trick" or that Adele ever endorsed it. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on the page named "Transforming Women"…

Is corn syrup "illegal in much of the world," as a post on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence that corn syrup is banned in any country. The claim stems from a common misconception that high fructose corn syrup is banned in the European Union, which is false. The sweetener was formerly regulated under a…

Does the image in a video on social media show the son of "Dr. Sebi" on trial for purportedly revealing "HEALTH SECRETS"? No, that's not true: The claim was made without providing names, dates, locations or other details by which to independently verify such a trial occurred or that the person shown is related to the late Alfredo "Dr. Sebi"…