Does a drink made of aloe vera, molasses, honey and gin eliminate all cancer cells, cysts and tumors? No, that's not true: While some of these ingredients may have health benefits, they are not a cure for cancer or other serious conditions. Oncology experts told Lead Stories that there's no evidence to support these claims.
The claim appeared in a reel published on Facebook on June 20, 2024, under the on-screen title "Eliminates all cancer cells from the body💯❤️." The post's caption said:
Eliminates all cancer cells from the body #reels #fyp #foryou #recipesoftiktok #fypシ #money #tiktok #top #fitness #comedi #foryoupage #hair #arthiritis
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu Jun 27 14:19:33 2024 UTC)
The video
Under the caption "Eliminates all cancer cells," the 88-second video offers a recipe for what it calls a "miraculous drink." This concoction, made with aloe vera, molasses, honey and gin, is claimed by the narrator to be a "salvation" for those suffering from cancer, cysts or tumors, touting its purported benefits.
Oncology nutrition therapist
Rebecca Beaudoin, a registered dietitian nutritionist and an outpatient oncology nutrition therapist at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, told Lead Stories that the claim about this drink mixture hasn't been substantiated and isn't a recommended treatment. In a June 27, 2024, email, she said:
Getting a cancer diagnosis can certainly be a frightening experience, and it is understandable that people would search for something that might help. However, this combination is not a proven or researched-backed method to treat cancer and is not a replacement for following the medical advice of an oncologist.
Beaudoin continued:
While the combination of ingredients itself should not be dangerous, it would be unwise to try and replace the PT's [patient's] recommended medical treatment, which has been studied with extensive research and clinical trials. In addition, research from the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR.org) has found that even less than 1 drink per day, of any kind of alcohol, increases the risk of several cancers.
National Cancer Institute
In a June 27, 2024, email to Lead Stories, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health provided a response to the social media claim that the drink cures cancer. This is what it said:
The National Cancer Institute disseminates evidence-based, scientifically accurate information about cancer to the public. It does not appear from a search of our resources that the NCI maintains information supporting the claim.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Nick Spinelli, a public affairs specialist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provided the public health agency's response in a June 27, 2024, email to Lead Stories, saying "There is no evidence to support these claims." He continued:
Complementary and alternative medicine are medicines and health practices that are not usually used by doctors to treat cancer. CDC recommends patients speak with their doctors before you start any kind of complementary or alternative medicine, even for managing side effects from standard treatment as some complementary and alternative medicines may make standard cancer treatments not work as well.
More information regarding complementary and alternative medicine can be found here.
Also in her email to Lead Stories, Beaudoin added:
Food can certainly be a valuable part of one's treatment. Improving fruit and vegetable and fiber intake has been associated with a decreased risk of cancer. The website www.aicr.org offers reputable information on diet and lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention and treatment.
Google search
Lead Stories searched using keywords on Google News, visible here (archived here), and found no credible reporting as of June 27, 2024, to corroborate the claim that those ingredients eliminate cancer cells from the body.
Read more
A similar claim was previously reviewed by AFP Fact Check in 2021.
Other Lead Stories articles on various claims of cures can be found here.
