A post on the Nigeria-based Facebook page “Solarababa herbs” claims the bark of the Parkia biglobosa tree will “suppress high blood pressure”. It describes how to prepare and take the remedy. “Boil the ingredient with water. Drink one shot (5ml) daily for two weeks.” But will this really reduce high blood pressure? We checked. Visit a doctor for treatment Parkia biglobosa,…

A message shared on Facebook in Nigeria advertises a “herbal cure for athritis”, listing common foods such as grapes, lime, honey, ginger and garlic as the healing ingredients. The post includes a link to an article on a website that calls itself “Africa’s No 1 herbal medicine shop”, which makes the same claim. Arthritis, known as awoka, awuka and…

AFP's fact-check service debunks misinformation spread online. Here are some of our recent articles on inaccurate claims in the United States..

“Male papaya root works like magic for erectile dysfunction,” reads a message posted on Facebook in Nigeria. “Wash the roots well and cut them into pieces. Dip or soak in water for 24 hours. A man with a weak erection should have a drink, three times a day, until improvement,” it reads. “Natural remedies contain natural substances that…

A post on the Nigeria-based Facebook page “Beauty & Health Arena” claims a mixture of bitter kola powder, honey, ginger powder and water is a “total cure” for low sperm count and azoospermia. It describes how to prepare and take the mixture, ending with: “Share this information everywhere on Facebook to help. I need your testimony. God bless you.”…

Garden eggs – a type of eggplant – and cucumbers washed down with an infusion of okra on an empty stomach is a remedy for high blood sugar, claims a message posted on Facebook in Nigeria. “The appropriate blood sugar level is between 75 to 110,” it reads. “Once you have a higher reading that is above 120,…

“Natural Medicine for guys,” reads the text in a graphic shared on Facebook in Nigeria in November 2020. The graphic makes several claims about how men can detect if they have a number of diseases. It reads: “Go up a tree and take a leak, if your pee attracts ants, you got diabetes, if it dries fast, your sodium…

A message posted on Facebook in Nigeria claims a mixture of onions, bitter leaf and honey will cure type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It gives instructions on how to grind “6 bulbs of onions”, mixing the onions with a “handful size of bitter leaf”, or the herb Vernonia amygdalina, and then adding honey to the concoction. The…

A message posted on Facebook in Nigeria claims drinking juice made from editan leaves and a local white clay will help women conceive. “To conceive easily with leaf,” it begins. “Get a popular Akwaibom leaf called Editan, squeeze out the juice in a glass ,then get white clay (nzu in Igbo) grate it into powdered and mix it…

A message posted on Facebook in Nigeria claims a mixture of lime and garlic treats intestinal worms. “Get the juice of lime mixed with paste juice from garlic and drink once a day that's enough for killing worms,” it reads. It adds that the mixture should not be given to children under the age of two. There are…

“Natural solution for high blood pressure,” reads the headline of a Facebook post shared in Nigeria. The post claims lemon, ginger and garlic steeped in hot water and drunk twice daily is a remedy for high blood pressure. “You can add natural honey to taste (optional). Drink this mixture at once and repeat this remedy for one month (30days) morning…

A video shared over 4,200 times on Facebook claims that inhaling the steam from water boiled with onion, lemon, ginger and garlic can destroy Covid-19. In the video, a uniformed woman introduces herself as an intensive care nurse. She advises people to make a “Covid tonic” by boiling onion, lemon, ginger and garlic. She says the resulting…