FACT CHECK: Ayurma Healing Oil not promoted by health TV show

Claim: Ayurma Healing Oil, which claims to relieve tingling, numbness, and joint pain, was promoted in the health program Pinoy MD.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook video bearing the claim has 660,000 views, 3,600 reactions, and 2,300 comments as of writing. 

A clip from an episode of Pinoy MD was inserted at the beginning of the video to make it seem like the program was endorsing Ayurma Healing Oil.

The video is bordered by text specifying the supposed benefits of the product.

The facts: The Pinoy MD TV show does not endorse Ayurma Healing Oil. The ad for the product uses spliced video from the episode on carpal tunnel syndrome, which aired on December 3, 2016.

The original clip discusses carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition that occurs due to pressure on the median nerve, causing numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand. The Pinoy MD video includes information on the symptoms of this condition and how to avoid it, but it does not mention anything about Ayurma Healing Oil. The ad merely added a short video with a voiceover promoting the product to make it seem like it was part of the Pinoy MD episode.

Not FDA registered: Ayurma Healing Oil is not included in the Philippine Food and Drug Administration list of approved food and drug products.

Rappler has fact-checked a similar claim about Ayurma Healing Oil, which uses the name and videos of popular online health personality Dr. Willie Ong. – Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza/Rappler.com

Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.