Science

Is it a proven fact that the consumption of pasteurized milk leads to ADHD? No, that's not true: While the exact causes of this disorder remain unknown, the existing body of evidence links the occurrence of ADHD to genetic factors, not diet. The claim appeared in a video on Instagram on May 8, 2023. The caption said: 🚨MILK SCAM🚨🐮Avoid pasteurized…

Is thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, found in "almost every single vaccine" and is it "killing you slowly"? No, that's not true: Multiple studies have shown "no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The two types of mercury people can be exposed to are very…

Can using the herb comfrey as a mouthwash help heal teeth and gums? No, that's not true: A professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry told Lead Stories that there is no evidence that comfrey can restore damaged gums or teeth. The Mount Sinai Health System explicitly states that people should not take comfrey by mouth. Scientific evidence points to…

Do patents related to the diseases AIDS, SARS, Zika and Ebola prove that they were man-made? No, that's not true: Three of the patents cited are associated with those diseases but they are not for the creation or invention of them. There is no mention in any of the patents that indicates the applicants fabricated the viruses. The Zika virus…

Does a "new study on fasting" prove it can cure any illness? No, that's not true: While fasting has been shown to have potential health benefits and may be useful in certain contexts, such as weight loss and improving insulin sensitivity, there is no evidence to suggest that it can cure all illnesses. The claims appear in a video on…

Has a professional athlete never lived to be 100 years old, thus evidencing that exercise "doesn't increase lifespan" and "in fact, exercise can shorten lifespan"? No, that's not true: Globally, there are a number of professional athletes who have lived to be 100 years old and beyond, including several of whom are alive as of this publication. Furthermore, scientific evidence…

Do jumpy cuts in the asparagus-eating video recorded by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield while in the zero-gravity environment in 2013 prove it was shot in a "Hollywood basement," outer space does not exist and Earth is flat? No, that's not true: In 2015, Hadfield, who became known not only as a space explorer but also as a space video blogger,…

Do acupressure massages on a person's hands and fingers aid digestion or relieve digestion issues? No, that's not true: The director of gastroenterology at the University of Alberta told Lead Stories that this post reflects "inaccurate information." A UCLA medical center dietician confirmed to Lead Stories that the reflexology technique seen in this post "has not conclusively shown to help…

Does cyanocobalamin, a man-made form of vitamin B12, cause or aggravate anxiety and depression if too much of it remains in the body? No, that's not true: The human body has a difficult time absorbing B12, no matter what form it comes in. In addition, any excess is passed out in the urine, so it doesn't have a chance to…

Do beekeepers have the longest life expectancy among all other professions and is this the result of disease-reversing healing frequencies emitted by the bees? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence to support this claim -- no data comparing the average longevity of all professions and finding beekeepers the longest-lived or that a "bee frequency" resulted in longer…

Are knives or bullets coated with garlic juice deadlier than they would be without it? No, that's not true: While garlic does have anti-clotting properties, they're not strong enough to cause people to bleed out from a wound that wouldn't normally have killed them to begin with. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok (archived here) published by eattolivenottodie…

Did a study prove that wearing face masks raises the risk of stillbirths, testicular dysfunction and cognitive decline "due to build-up of carbon dioxide" (CO2)? No, that's not true: A "study" shared widely to social media was actually a review article of existing scientific studies -- not directly related to mask-wearing -- that a medical expert told Lead Stories was…

Is there a "button for the heart" above your wrist and does it help alleviate conditions such as heart pain and epilepsy? No, that's not true: While stimulation of Pericardium 6 -- an acupuncture and acupressure point located on the wrist -- may be useful for helping patients deal with postoperative nausea and vomiting, there is no scientific evidence at…

Does fasting cure AIDS? No, that's not true: Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.N.'s UNAIDS organization told Lead Stories there is no cure to HIV/AIDS. However, with proper medical care, the virus can be controlled and people living with the virus can live long and healthy lives. The claim appeared on TikTok (archived here)…

Does pressing the "lung 1" point on one's chest help to cure, treat or alleviate such conditions as cough, wheezing, asthma and dyspnea? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence supporting this theory. The claim appeared in a post on Facebook on April 22, 2023. It contained a video showing a man pressing a spot on his chest…

Did NASA announce the discovery of a massive unidentified flying object (UFO) spotted between the Earth and the sun and did this result in the closure of six solar observatories to hide something from the public? No, that's not true: This UFO clickbait narrative has been circulating online since at least September 13, 2018, and has continued to evolve with…

Does consuming folic acid or folate cause depression, particularly postpartum? No, that's not true: There is no substantiated evidence to suggest that folic acid causes depression, postpartum or otherwise. A medical expert who focuses on the genetic links between folate and postpartum depression told Lead Stories that such claims are "absolutely unfounded" and "potentially harmful misinformation." Rather, research suggests that…

Does a test that supposedly extracts "chemtrail" and air-pollution nanoparticles from a person's saliva accurately show a diagnosis of Morgellons disease? No, that's not true: Food chemistry experts told Lead Stories that precipitates created after swishing cranberry juice in the mouth are not the result of nanoparticles from chemtrails and air pollution but a well-known reaction of saliva mixed with…

Did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ban COVID-19 vaccines in April 2023? No, that's not true: On April 18, 2023, the agency amended its previous emergency use authorizations (EUAs) to remove authorization for monovalent vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, and, instead, authorized bivalent vaccines for all doses given to those 6 months old and older. In a…

Did a robot that experienced "wage slavery" for 15 minutes commit suicide after determining that was the logical choice rather than to continue working? No, that's not true: The video was posted by Agility Robotics, celebrating the 99-percent success rate of its live demos, while acknowledging that its Digit robot did have a couple of falls. This robot's accident happened…