How can you spot a TikTok wellness scam?
From jade eggs to apple cider vinegar - why do these trends go viral?
Netflix has a TV show out called Apple Cider Vinegar - it’s a dramatisation of a real story of a real influencer who was popular online, and said she was treating a terminal illness with alternative therapies. But it turned out the supposed natural treatments she was promoting didn’t do anything, because she didn’t really have brain cancer.
So it got us thinking - how can you spot false wellness claims?
Drinking special tea to make you slimmer. Rubbing bee venom on your face to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Inserting gemstones into your vagina to regulate menstrual cycles. These are just three on the seemingly endless list which have little to no scientific evidence to support their purported benefits.
Jacqui Wakefield, a reporter with the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½â€™s Global Disinformation Unit, takes us through what makes these trends take off and how we can spot the bad ones online. Makuochi Okafor in our Lagos bureau explains what wellness scams look like in Nigeria. And Maria Clara Montoya tells us about the scene in Latin America.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: William Lee Adams
Producer: Emily Horler
Video Journalists: Benita Barden and Adam Chowdhury
Editor: Verity Wilde
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- Thu 20 Mar 2025 18:50GMTÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service News Internet
- Fri 21 Mar 2025 03:50GMTÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service East and Southern Africa, South Asia, West and Central Africa & East Asia only
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What in the World
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