Lead Stories Thai - Business

Fact Check: Itcha XS Is NOT Weight Loss Pill

2024-03-29T13:58:03Z

Is a dietary supplement called Itcha XS a weight loss pill, as extensively advertised on social media? No, that's not true. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Thailand says the pill is not registered as weight loss medication and advertising it as having weight loss effects violates FDA regulation. The regulatory agency is preparing to issue consumer warnings regarding this product and legal actions may be taken against the supplement distributor to remove misleading advertisements from commercial channels.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok on March 21, 2024, by @ itcha2024, an account affiliated with the product's distributor. The caption (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff) read:

Let's hear the answer. What has (the presenter) done (to her body)?

A woman is heard saying (as translated):

Many people ask whether Benz (the name of the presenter) has undergone gastric surgery or liposuction, but I haven't done anything at all. I've been taking Itcha since October (2023). I just take Itcha and also watch my diet. Some may feel it's impossible to lose weight but I want you to open your heart and give it a try because many people are afraid. Take Itcha one pill a day and your body will definitely change.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Mar 27 09:12:03 2024 UTC)

The product is registered with Thailand's FDA as a dietary supplement product (archived here). According to the regulations of the FDA (archived here), advertising dietary supplements as products that can reduce weight or change body shape is forbidden.

Lead Stories reached out by phone to the FDA Thai's Complaint and Enforcement Management Center (archived here) on March 27, 2024. An FDA representative acknowledged that there have been many complaints about the product, saying (as translated):

Since the product is registered with the FDA as a dietary supplement, and it has not been reported to the office as having any properties that contribute to weight loss, it is considered a violation of FDA regulations for advertising with such a message.

Adding:

The bureau is currently addressing misleading advertising by the product. Warnings Thai consumers against the product and also legal issue against the distributing company will be soon launched.

Fact Check: Sesame Extract Dietary Supplement Is NOT Cancer Treatment

2024-03-24T11:49:39Z

Have the efficacy of sesame extract dietary supplements in treating cancer been clinically proven? No, that's not true: The National Cancer Institute of Thailand has cautioned that conclusive clinical research evidence is lacking to confirm such substances can treat cancer in humans. According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, this product is registered as a dietary supplement and cannot be advertised as having the capacity to treat major health conditions, including cancer.

The claim appeared in numerous videos on TikTok, such as here (archived here) and here (archived here). Both were published by TikTok account @may0971989263, which promotes a sesamin supplement called Aimmura. The first video's caption (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff) read:

Only two days left. Fortunately, she found sesamin (in time)

The woman in the video said (as translated):

Before, my father wouldn't let me take any supplements or medication at all. Until I became very ill, couldn't breathe, and the doctor said I wouldn't survive. Maybe I had only 2 days left. How would my father decide? The doctor said I needed a tracheostomy to help me breathe, otherwise, I wouldn't make it for sure.

Later in the video, the host introduces Professor Pratchaya, a researcher who investigated sesamin extract, which has become a crucial component of Aimmura's sesamin product. He said (as translated):

Her father asked me for help because his daughter had a serious type of cancer. I replied, 'Only miracles can help. However, I have some interesting research. I suggested we should try it out.' Then he suggested to him where to buy Aimmura's products.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Mar 22 15:55:39 2024 UTC)

In the comments section, a viewer asked, "This clip is old. I would like to know if the person is still alive." The creator of the clip responded (as translated):

Currently, Nong Pui [the name of the woman] is alive. She now has two children.

Another viewer asked for suggestions for a person who has stage 4 throat cancer. The creator of the clip replied:

It is recommended to take Aimmura X for cancer treatment. It's for urgent cases.

The creator of the video also gave the following advice (as translated): "It can cause cancer cells to die by stimulating immunity to produce killer cells (lymphocytes that are skilled and capable of destroying cancer cells) ... It inhibits the process of creating new blood vessels around cancer cells (tumor tissue), causing cancer cells to shrink and eventually wither away." He also wrote: "It boosts the immune system, or enhances the function of white blood cells to effectively manage cancer cells."

In the second video, posted by the same account, the caption on the video read (as translated):

I consumed this product and got better. Stage 3 mouth cancer. Sesamin is truly effective. The disease subsided when taken with chemo.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Mar 23 16:00 2024 UTC)

The creator of the post gives the same advice as in the first video's comment section.

The National Cancer Institute (archived here) affirms that research indicates the health benefits of sesamin from black sesame seeds in breaking down the outer shell of cancer cells, facilitating their elimination by white blood cells. Nevertheless, the institute cautioned that research on the efficacy of sesamin extracts in destroying cancer cells is limited to cellular and animal experimentation.

Presently, there are no clinical research reports definitively confirming the efficacy of sesamin in destroying cancer cells studied in humans.

Aimmura's sesamin extract product is registered with the Thai FDA as a dietary supplement (archived here). According to the FDA (archived here), it is prohibited to advertise or convey messages suggesting medical properties, especially those claiming protection against or treatment of life-threatening diseases like cancer, for dietary supplement products.

Fact Check: NO Evidence Q-Musso Herbal Coffee Can Cure Body Aches And Joint Pain

2024-03-19T09:28:24Z

Does Q-Musso herbal coffee cure body aches and joint pain? No, that's not true: No results of testing that could corroborate such alleged properties have been submitted for this product, according to Thailand's Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, such claims cannot be used when advertising the product.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) by @qmussocoffee on TikTok on June 15, 2023, still circulating. It stated (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff):

Joint pain, knee pain, back pain. Q-Musso coffee can help.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Sun Mar 17 12:35:24 2024 UTC)

Q-Musso herbal coffee is made with 24 different herbs, such as lingzhi, ginseng, black sesame, Inca peanut and safflower, and contains a very small percentage -- 2 percent -- of arabica coffee, according to the Q-Musso website (archived here ). The website also states that one of its herbal ingredients is Derris scandens (archived here), a plant used in traditional Thai medicine. The website claims this is a pain killer as effective as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Diclofenac (archived here) and Naproxen (archived here). The website also claims that Derris scandens can cure inflammation caused by knee osteoarthritis.

The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine told Lead Stories on March 15, 2024, by phone that Derris scandens was used in Thai traditional medicine to relieve muscle pain and body stiffness. However, the Department added that no reliable study proves that Derris scandens can reduce the inflammation caused by knee osteoarthritis.

According to a review of the role of caffeine in pain management published in the scientific journal Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine online on March 26, 2016, (archived here), caffeine has a potential role for pain modulation as it might block specific adenosine receptors that create pain. Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA), though, told Lead Stories on the phone on March 15, 2024, that coffee generally contains caffeine, which might ease pain temporarily, but is not a cure for any symptoms or diseases.

The FDA states that Q-Musso is a brand of instant coffee registered in the food category. Despite the pain relief benefit of caffeine and, allegedly, herbs, the company producing Q-Musso coffee has never submitted any result of medical efficacy testing to the FDA. Therefore, no health benefits, including easing body aches, joint pain and other symptoms, can be advertised for Q-Musso coffee.

Fact Check: Dietary Supplement Adoxy Cannot Cure SLE, Scleroderma

2024-02-29T12:08:41Z

Can a dietary supplement called Adoxy treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and scleroderma? No, that's not true: The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that Adoxy is a dietary supplement and has no medical benefits. None of the dietary supplements registered with the FDA have been shown to cure SLE, a chronic disease responsible for the inflammation of organs and tissues in various parts of the human body, and scleroderma, a chronic autoimmune disease, the FDA said.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by @idonely (archived here) on August 11, 2023. The text in the clip (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff) read:

SLE disease. Scleroderma disease. Use Adoxy.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Feb 28 17:25:41 2024 UTC)

The TikTok account posted several different videos showing before-and-after photos of a woman who suffered from SLE (archived here) and scleroderma (archived here) and was cured by regularly drinking water mixed with Adoxy (archived here). Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and thickening of the skin and other body parts.

The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (archived here) confirmed to Lead Stories by phone on February 28, 2024, that none of Adoxy's ingredients have been proven to cure SLE and scleroderma. The FDA official said Adoxy is a dietary supplement registered (archived here) in the food category with the serial number 10-1-30547-1-0037, and it has not submitted any medical efficacy reports for treating any diseases.

The FDA added that its main ingredients include wheat germ powder, soy protein isolate, carrot extract, papaya powder, black sesame extract, spinach powder and white kidney bean extract, from which no medical benefit can be expected.

Fact Check: NO Evidence Wearing Copper Bracelets Relieves Pain Or Cures Illnesses

2024-02-29T11:43:59Z

Does wearing copper bracelets relieve pain, balance our body or cure illnesses? No, that's not true: Researchers have stated that no conclusive evidence indicates that copper accessories can reduce pain or inflammation and that wearing them has any proven health benefits.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by @maeple.suparat (archived here) on February 6, 2024, under the title (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff) "Balance your body and cure illness with a copper bracelet." It opened (as translated):

Wearing copper bracelets, with the tails of negative and positive charges not touching each other, allows one to harness natural magnetic power waves. These waves can help relieve pain.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue Feb 27 09:48:36 2024 UTC)

Many Thai accounts on TikTok have posted videos about copper accessories being the new trend for treatments allegedly using magnetic waves from nature. In this video, the person says (as translated):

Wearing copper bracelets, with the tails of negative and positive charges not touching each other, allows one to harness natural magnetic power waves. These waves help balance blood circulation, relieve pain, and alleviate serious diseases. They can also protect our bodies from the effects of WiFi, Bluetooth, or computer waves. Moreover, it helps with insomnia when placed under the pillow.

Another video (archived here) on TikTok claims that copper wire from electronic equipment alleviates knee pain.

However, evidence supporting the use of copper bracelets as a treatment is very thin (archived here). Research over the years has found that magnetic wrist straps and copper bracelets do not alleviate arthritis pain or stiffness. One scientific study, titled "Copper Bracelets and Magnetic Wrist Straps for Rheumatoid Arthritis - Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects: A Randomised Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Crossover Trial" (archived here) was published online by PLOS ONE on September 16, 2013. In this study, researchers used devices combined with magnets or copper in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial, meaning patients in the experiment were unaware of which medication they received (archived here). Placebo-controlled trials were conducted for both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The analysis of treatment outcomes indicated that magnet devices, including copper, did not affect pain, inflammation, physical function, disease activity or medication usage.

Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned (archived here) that copper bracelets can also be harmful when used by people who have an electronic device or implant such as a pacemaker, use an insulin pump, are pregnant or are allergic to metals like nickel.

Lead Stories has previously debunked claimed health benefits of copper bracelets and other jewelry; you can see those stories here, here and here.

Fact Check: Eye Care Product Advertising Does NOT Show Pre-, Post-Treatment Situation

2024-02-25T14:37:29Z

Did DR JAME's eye care product use its own research studies for advertisement? No, that's not true: DR JAME's eye care product for pterygium, a wing-like triangular membrane that can affect eye vision, is advertised by showing histology photographs from two different published scientific research studies that are unrelated to the product.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok by the @DrJame account (archived here) on January 7, 2024, under the title (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff) "No need for surgery for pterygium at German Medical Center, Dr. Jame Medicine." It opened (as translated):

Someone asked about how long it takes for pterygium recovery. It depends on the complexity of the shape and growth of pterygim tissues. If the tissue layer is simple, it will take less time than patients with spiral, complicated pterygium tissues. However, doctor confirm that pterygium will be removed.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Sat Feb 17 19:51:08 2024 UTC)

The post claims to show the histology of a case of complex pterygium abnormal tissue before and after using a bottle of Dr. Jame's eye care product. The Lead Stories staff found that the two images shown below are unrelated to each other and the product.

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Sat Feb 17 19:45:19 2024 UTC)

The image on the left side is described in the post as pterygium abnormal tissue and carries a DR JAME watermark. But the original photograph has a different source and does not belong to DR Jame's eye care company. It shows a case of pterygium, immunostaining of pterygium tissue focusing on a protein called Hsp90 in numerous epithelial cells (original magnification, x400), and comes from a scientific research study titled "Immunohistochemical detection of Hsp90 and Ki-67 in pterygium, 2013" (archived here), conducted by a Brazilian team of the Hospital Federal Fluminense University, Rio de Janeiro, and published by Diagnostic Pathology in February 2013.

The image on the right side supposedly shows the result on the same tissue after using the eye care treatment with DR JAME product. But Lead Stories was able to trace back the original image, which is unrelated to the first one. The original picture shows less complex pterygium tissues, which are goblet cells grouped as intraepithelial glands (Hematoxylin-Eosin staining, x200), from a paper titled "Pterygium: histological and immunohistochemical aspects" (archived here), published by the Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology on February 26, 2011.

Dr Jame's eye care product, claimed to be medicinal, lacks scientific credibility. A search on the Thai FDA approval website (archived here) shows no record to display; therefore the product information cannot be verified.

Fact Check: Nano Silver Water Does NOT Have Any Health Benefits

2024-02-19T11:20:38Z

Does nano silver water have any beneficial effects on our health? No, that's not true: According to the Thai Ministry of Public Health, nano silver water, or colloidal silver water, does not have any health benefits, and there is no substantive scientific evidence supporting claims that it does.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by @aketanaboss on July 12, 2023, with the caption (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff):

Good news for Thai people

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue Feb 13 10:00:38 2024 UTC)

According to the video, a woman said someone had been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and myasthenia, a condition that can cause, among other symptoms, weakness of arm or leg muscles. She said the person was too weak to walk but that changed after drinking the water shown in the video.

The product shown in the TikTok video, Alpha SCH+ , or nano silver water (archived here), is described as a mineral supplement drink that is enriched with colloidal silver. According to the ad on its website, it can boost the immune system, has antioxidant properties, helps nourish the skin and detoxifies.

However, the Thai Ministry of Public Health (archived here) has confirmed that colloidal silver water does not have any health benefits, and its consumption may instead be dangerous.

Colloidal silver (archived here) consists of tiny silver particles in a liquid. It is often promoted as a cure-all and a dietary supplement, but no evidence supports health-related claims. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (archived here) has declared that colloidal silver ingredients or silver salts are not generally recognized as safe and effective and should not be branded as products that can improve people's health. Moreover, its use can lead to numerous serious conditions. The FDA is not aware of any substantive scientific evidence supporting the use of over-the-counter colloidal silver ingredients or silver salts to treat health conditions.

The Mayo Clinic (archived here) also advises against consuming colloidal silver. It states that it can accumulate in the body's tissues over months or years, resulting in a blue-gray tint on the skin and in the eyes, organs, nails and gums. In rare cases, excessive consumption of colloidal silver can lead to severe and long-lasting health problems, such as kidney damage and seizures.

Lead Stories has debunked another claim on colloidal silver water here.

Fact Check: Power One Water Does NOT Cure Leukemia Or Other Diseases

2023-04-29T17:52:06Z

Does Power One Water, an alkaline drink, cure leukemia and other types of cancer? No, that's not true: There is no scientific evidence supporting the theory that alkaline water can prevent or cure diseases such as cancer.

The claim appeared in several videos on TikTok such as this one (archived here) posted by the account poweronewater1 on March, 7, 2023. The caption of the video is a disclaimer: "โปรดใช้วิจารณญาณในการรับชม น้ำดื่มเพาเวอร์เป็นแค่ทางเลือกในการดูแลสุขภาพ ควรปรึกษาแพทย์เพื่อการรักษาที่ถูกต้อง #poweronewater #น้ำดื่มเพาเวอร์วัน" which Lead Stories staff translated as "Please use your judgement when consuming. Power drinking water is just an alternative to health care. It is recommended to consult with a physician for proper treatment."

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Apr 26 12:00:06 2023 UTC)

Although the video comes with a disclaimer, it still declares the product has therapeutic properties. The woman in the video is shown answering questions posed by a man, whose voice can be heard in the background, as if she is being interviewed. As first, she identifies herself as Apon Dansong, and says she was diagnosed with stage three leukemia several years ago.

She continues, saying that she has visited many hospitals searching for a cure but hasn't found one. After someone introduced her to Power One water, she says, she drank the alkaline water while taking her prescribed medicines. Five months later, she concludes, she went back to the hospital for a check-up and her cancer was gone. She also gained back her strength:

On October 25th, I went to the Songklanagarind Hospital for a check-up. The doctor said that my blood results were back to normal, and that my cholesterol, intestines, kidneys were normal ... before this I thought I was going to die... And there was no sign of cancer at all.

There is no further information to corroborate her story, nor her claims.

Science does not support the idea of alkaline water as a miracle cure. Lead Stories has debunked the claim that cancer is caused by acidity and can be prevented by alkalizing the body. The Thai Food and Drug Administration's website also debunked the claim in 2020, adding that alkaline water has been widely discussed on social media as a healthy drink that can prevent cancer and other diseases.

The Thai agency's web page says this is not true. Our body has mechanisms to control the acid-base balance and our internal organs have different levels of acidity and alkalinity. Drinking alkaline water does not change the body's pH. Many studies have found that drinking alkaline water has no effect on the prevention or inhibition of cancer cells.

The Thailand Anti-Fake News Center launched a warning on December 3, 2021, rejecting as baseless the advertisement of Power One water as effective in reducing the risk of diseases, in helping weight loss and improving brain and heart functions.

The Thai FDA, a Thai government unit under the Ministry of Public Health overseeing the registration of food and drugs, has confirmed that these claims are false and "therefore, it is important for the public not to believe such information and to refrain from sharing or forwarding it through various online social media channels." "Let us all work together to combat the spread of false information," the website adds.

An official with the Thai FDA's complaint center - which opened lines for the public to voice complaints related to food and drugs - said in a phone interview with Lead Stories on April 26, 2023, that they have forbidden Power One to claim that their product can improve one's health in 2021, after receiving several complaints on the product being widely advertised as therapeutic on local social media.