A reel circulating on Facebook posted on June 29 claims that turmeric can shrink tumors and serve as an alternative treatment for cancer. This is not true.
In the video, a voiceover that used artificial intelligence accompanies footage showing the preparation and boiling of turmeric. The audio urges viewers to drink the herbal concoction to shrink tumors, with the narrator claiming:
“BUKOL BA SA LEEG AT OVARY ANG PROBLEMA MO? GAWIN MO ANG INUMING ITO NA PROVEN & TESTED NA NAKAKAPAGPAGALING SA PROBLEMANG YAN. MAGLAGA KA NG TURMERIC O LUYANG DILAW. I BOILED MO LANG ITO NG TATLONG MINUTO. PWEDE ITO INUMIN NG MAINIT INIT PA O DI KAYAY (sic) MALAMIG NA. UMINOM KA LANG NITO DALAWANG BESES SA ISANG ARAW BAGO KUMAIN. ISANG BUWAN NA CONSESTEN (sic) KA SA PAG INOM NITO, MAKIKITA MO ANG PAGBABAGO
(Are you struggling with tumors in your neck or ovaries? Make this drink—proven and
tested to heal the problem. Just boil turmeric or yellow ginger for three minutes.
You can drink it warm or cold twice a day before meals. Be consistent for
a month and you will see the difference.”
To verify the claim, VERA Files reached out to the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC), an attached agency of the Department of Health. In their response, the agency denied the claim, stating:
“PITAHC does not recognize turmeric, or its active compound curcumin, as an approved or scientifically validated treatment for tumors, cancer, or any malignant growth.”
The agency explained that under Department Circular No. 168-A s. 1995, turmeric (luyang dilaw or Curcuma longa) is only documented for folkloric uses such as aiding with wounds, sprains, and bloating—which still require further scientific validation.
PITAHC noted that turmeric products sold in the market are registered with the Food and Drug Administration strictly as food supplements or traditional herbal items, and not as therapeutic drugs.
The health agency also warned against replacing proven medical procedures like chemotherapy or surgery with high–dose herbal supplements. They cautioned that delaying or refusing proper medical care can allow treatable cancers to progress to advanced, life-threatening stages.
It further warned that consuming high doses of turmeric poses direct health risks:
“At high doses, turmeric has been linked to gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea, and more seriously it can interfere with liver enzymes that process many drugs, including some chemotherapy agents and blood thinners. It also has mild blood-thinning properties on its own, which raises real concern around surgery or when combined with other medications.”
Because of these potential complications, PITAHC advised patients to always check with their oncologist before taking any herbal supplements, and emphasized that these kinds of herbal remedies should never replace prescribed medical treatments.
A review of the publisher’s FB page found a pattern of promoting unverified home remedies using common kitchen ingredients. The page frequently posts real preparation videos of these ingredients with AI-generated voiceovers, presenting spices and herbal supplements as supposed cures for serious illnesses.
This false reel posted by FB page Mommy Robs and Family vlogs, with 1.4 million followers, and multiple FB users has garnered a total of 1.1 million views with 16,609 reactions, 393 comments, and 3,400 shares.
