FALSE: Hera Nano Curcumin Milk is curative for several gastrointestinal diseases

At a glance

• Claim: Hera Nano Curcumin Milk is curative for several gastrointestinal diseases. 
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: Hera Curcumin Milk is not a registered food or drug product with the Food and Drug Administration. Curcumin is not a spice that is curative for any disease.
• Why we fact-checked this: The video with this claim has more than 2.5 million views and over 400 reactions, as of writing.

Complete details

A Facebook page selling the product Hera Nano Curcumin Milk, which also bears the name Sua Nghe Hera on its packaging, is claiming that the product can cure gastrointestinal diseases, such as acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach ulcers, and cancers. 

The caption goes so far as to say that their product removes the need for hospitalization and endoscopy, and is free of any side effects. 

These claims are false. 

Hera Nano Curcumin Milk, or Sua Nghe Hera, is not registered with the Food and Drug Authority as either a food product or a drug product. This means that it has not undergone the safety standards necessary for the public sale and consumption of this product.

It is also highly unlikely that the active ingredient, which the post claims to be curcumin, can cure the gastrointestinal diseases it can allegedly solve. Curcumin, which comes from the spice turmeric, has mostly been studied for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 

However, these studies have not proven that curcumin can be used to cure diseases, like stomach ulcers (erosions in the lining of the stomach), which may be caused by bacteria and require antibiotics, or due to certain food or medication intake, which will require modifying one’s lifestyle to address. 

Curcumin has also not been found to cure stomach cancers or any cancers.   

Skimmed milk is the other component mentioned in the product. Milk can act as a buffer, providing short-term symptomatic relief from pain from conditions like acid reflux or GERD. But the fat contained in milk can cause the stomach to produce more stomach acid, thereby making the acid reflux or GERD worse. 

It is much cheaper to get an over-the-counter antacid for symptomatic relief of these conditions. 

If you are suffering from health conditions as mentioned in the video, it is best to consult a licensed physician early on to be able to quickly address the condition and catch the disease before it progresses. – Renzo Arceta/Rappler.com

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