By Shereefdeen Ahmad
A Facebook user with the name Herbalist Dr. Odion Natural Medicine claimed that drinking bitter leaf juice regularly has the potential to cure prostate cancer, stomach ache instantly, memory loss and protect the body against pollutants.
Dr. Odion, according to his Facebook profile, is a traditional herbalist and healer who uses natural roots, herbs and plants for healing and cure.
He added that the same bitter leaf juice also increases breast milk in lactating mothers, corrects hormonal imbalance in women and is used for contraction of the uterus during delivery.
“It’s very effective in the treatment and cure of diseases such as malaria, due to a component known as Natural Quinine. It cures sexually transmitted diseases (STD), helps treat Hepatitis B, cures intestinal parasitic infections and treats skin diseases such as ringworm, eczema and so on. It also cures cough, as well as toothaches,” the post reads in part.
“It detoxifies the whole body, purifies the kidney and liver and keeps them healthy; cures insomnia instantly, reduces blood sugar and has anti-diabetics effect; relieves menopause symptoms and decreases blood pressure in hypertensive patients.”
The News Digest Press has found that this is not the first time the claims are surfacing online. They were also published here ,here and here.
The Claims
Bitter leaf juice cures prostate cancer, stomach ache, memory loss, malaria, insomnia, hepatitis and STD.
Also, it protects the body against pollutants, increases breast milk in lactating mothers, used for contraction of the uterus during delivery and corrects hormonal imbalance in women.
Moreso, bitter leaf juice detoxifies the whole body, purifies the kidney and liver and keeps them healthy; cures insomnia instantly, reduces blood sugar and has anti-diabetics effect; relieves menopause symptoms and decreases blood pressure in hypertensive patients
Findings
To verify the authenticity of the claims, The News Digest Press has contacted medical experts.
Speaking with a doctor at Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, D.S Omeiza said: “I have never seen or heard or read where bitter leaf has been confirmed to treat all the ailments stated above including the ones that doesn’t make sense(Pollutants against the body – whatever that means).”
He said he only knew of its efficacy to lower blood sugar and malaria management, and “nobody prescribed bitter leaf for malaria management and lowering of blood sugar in hospital.”
“As for malaria, since one of its active ingredients is quinine, it can help in the management of malaria. Quinine takes care of malaria.”
Dr. Omeiza said the remaining claims are pieces of jargon until proven otherwise with hard evidence.
Also, speaking with Omokhefe Biem, a physician, cardiorenal physiologist, researcher and medical writer kicked against the efficacy of bitter leaf juice to cure all the ailments mentioned above.
“Firstly, prostate cancer is stimulated by excessive testosterone in males and one of the medical treatment is to inhibit the production of this testosterone as such either medications such as finasterides or total castration is done to treat this disease bitter leaf doesn’t contain anti testosterone, it synthesis and analysis doesn’t contain this hence its false.”
“Memory loss has nothing to do with bitter leaf water in fact in is normal to have some memory loss at some instant, however pathologically those who gradually lose their memory such as forgetting their names, inability to recognise family or become aggressive may suffer Dementia or Alzheimer’s which is a progressive diseases and BITTER LEAF water has no efficacy to treat this, the medication use are well prepared anticholinergic medications such as donepezil which has no be proved to be assayed from bitter leaf water.”
He said that stomach ache has a thousand and one reasons from peptic ulcer disease to pancreatitis, to hepatitis to mesenteric occlusion to appendicitis, so saying that bitter leaf juice is a cure to stomach ache is not only primitive to say but lies.
Also, “there is no connection between pollutants and bitter leaf water, pollutants come in different forms, which is he talking about?”
“Bitter leaf water has no hormonal connection in producing milk; the process of milk production has to do with the pituitary glands which produce some hormones and oxytocin which in turn cause the nipples to eject the produced milk.”
“Contraction during pregnancy in the uterus is firstly due to prostaglandins and then augmented with oxytocin which has not been found in bitter leaves in a therapeutic amount which could stimulate contraction enough to cause labor.”
“How does it correct hormonal imbalance in women when it has no hormone in it?”
“Bitter leaf does not cure malaria; the quinine content is not suitable to treat malaria as West African falciparum have long developed resistance to Quinine and even chloroquine.”
As for STD, Omokhefe said “It has no antibiotics functions it doesn’t cure any sexually transmitted disease, it has no viral functions and does not cure any viral infections, it may help to expel some intestinal parasites like Ascaris lumbricoides but no anecdotal evidences.”
“Infact all he said were lies.”
Meanwhile, Omokhefe, just like Dr. Omeiz, also pointed out the efficiency of bitter leaf juice to reduce blood sugar.
But add that: “Treating diabetes is not just reducing blood sugar, it is a metabolic disease affecting fats metabolism which must also be treated alongside.”
Moving forward, he said bitter leaf doesn’t purify the kidney, instead it increases damage to the kidneys because of its phytochemicals and contaminated lead.
“It has no connection with insomnia; bitter leaf water is mainly hydrophilic, it is digested and detoxified by the liver; it cannot cross the blood brain barrier which is a crucial step in managing insomnia.”
“It has no bearing on blood pressure regulations.
Meanwhile, when most of the claims were published here last year, the article was accompanied with a disclaimer note, a further indication that the claims have no medical basis.
“This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility,” the disclaimer reads.
Verdict
The claims that bitter leaf juice cures prostate cancer, stomach ache, memory loss, malaria, insomnia, hepatitis among others are misleading, and have no medical backing.
Except its potential to reduce blood sugar.