Does an herbal drink called Sam Glur, a blend of roselle, jujube, and bael fruit, help lower cholesterol, cure diabetes, and treat numbness in the fingertips? No, that's not true: The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine told Lead Stories that there is no scientific proof that this herbal drink can cure any diseases or specific conditions, including high cholesterol, diabetes, and numbness.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok on September 5, 2023. The text in the clip (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff) reads:
Sam Glur drink reduces cholesterol in blood, diabetes and numbness at fingertips and feet
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Sun Feb 25 15:24:40 2024 UTC)
A report (archived here) published on March 20, 2023, on the Hfocus website, a media outlet of the Thai Ministry of Public Health aimed at providing reliable health news, quoted a statement from the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (archived here) saying the claim was untrue. Although these ingredients might help improve blood circulation temporarily, no reliable study confirms that this herbal drink can reduce high cholesterol or cure diabetes and numbness in any part of the body.
The Nutrition Office (archived here), under the Thai Ministry of Public Health, told Lead Stories over the phone on February 26, 2024, that the Sam Glur herbal drink is usually mixed with sugar and ice. It has very few health benefits as it merely gives a boost of energy and refreshes people in hot weather. The Nutrition Office confirmed that the claim about the alleged health benefits of this drink is untrue and that there is no scientific evidence to corroborate it.
