The advertising trap of "enzymes that cure cancer"

Taking advantage of the desperate need for a cure, many vendors have embellished ordinary products, portraying them as "extraordinary," even claiming they can cure cancer. Patients spend money hoping for a healthy life, unwittingly becoming victims of these advertising tricks.

A bottle of "mysterious liquid" costs 1.6 million VND.

On the NXC Fanpage (84,000 followers), a liquid product under the brand Th.H. is advertised as a "biological miracle, sustaining life," exclusively distributed by a company located in Dong Nai province. Posts and videos on the Fanpage claim this drink supplements enzymes and awakens the body's self-healing abilities. While repeatedly asserting that the product is not a medicine, the seller cites numerous cases of cancer and diabetes patients who have recovered after consuming the enzyme supplement. A series of benefits are also listed, including: detoxification, balancing physiology, cancer prevention, and creating an immune barrier against all diseases…

Cancer patients at Cho Ray Hospital receive standard treatment protocols and emotional support through a variety of activities.

Acting as customers, we received enthusiastic advice from the staff about this type of water. The seller claimed that enzymes are a method to help the body heal naturally, treating the root cause of the disease. “For cancer patients, after 6 combos (42 bottles of water) you will see significant improvement, 13 combos (91 bottles of water) for cases in the late stages,” the seller shared. Not only did the seller praise the water as a “miracle,” but they also denied the effectiveness of modern medicine in treating cancer, claiming that “chemotherapy cannot prevent cancer from spreading, the disease will recur and worsen. The more chemotherapy and radiation, the more tired and exhausted the body becomes.”

Because of its "extraordinary" effects, the product is sold at an unusually high price: 1,598,000 VND per 750ml bottle. However, upon receiving the package via post , we were quite surprised to find it was a bottle of green fruit and herbal juice containing green grape juice, green pineapple, green apple, green guava, green papaya, etc. The label indicated the product was imported from Thailand, with no information about its advertised effects. A quick survey on the e-commerce platform S. revealed a similar "Thai enzyme fruit juice" with the same appearance, ingredients, and origin, selling for 700,000-900,000 VND per 750ml bottle; another "Japanese enzyme juice" was priced at 2,600,000 VND per 720ml bottle.

Products with exaggerated or "miraculous" claims are not uncommon. Recently, when the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department discovered that GodwayPharma Co., Ltd. (Hoc Mon District) was using expired ingredients to produce food, reporters noted several unusual claims on the GodwayPharma.com website. The company claimed to have successfully researched and developed a method for curing cancer completely, including late-stage cancer. The website contained unscientific advertising content such as: "A natural and complete healing method from within the body, an exclusive cancer treatment, successfully treating many diseases for which the world's medical community has no cure."

Beware of exaggerated advertising claims.

Dr. Nguyen Trieu Vu, from the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, expressed concern about the exaggerated advertising of products such as enzymes, alkaline water, and traditional remedies for cancer. He explained that enzyme supplements are simply fruit juices that provide vitamins to the body and absolutely have no effect on treating cancer or other chronic diseases. “Fruit juice is good for health, but its benefits are exaggerated, making cancer patients think they have found a miracle cure. The most dangerous thing is that patients may abandon conventional treatment regimens and become addicted to unscientific, costly methods,” Dr. Nguyen Trieu Vu warned.

Doctors present gifts to cancer patients at Cho Ray Hospital during an event aimed at improving their knowledge and boosting their morale.

According to Dr. Luu Ngan Tam, Head of the Nutrition Department at Cho Ray Hospital, functional foods or nutritional products must be advertised accurately, without excessive advertising that misleads patients and consumers.

In the current context of a booming functional food market, Dr. Luu Ngan Tam suggested that authorities conduct more frequent post-inspection to control product quality and pricing. For specific products, manufacturers should provide evidence of human studies related to the active ingredients, validated by a properly regulated research institution.

According to experts, in recent times, theories and dietary methods regarding enzyme healing have been "half-truths," meaning they provide some correct medical knowledge but incorporate a lot of information that lacks scientific basis. Many individuals and businesses selling dietary supplements have taken full advantage of this to advertise and subtly swindle consumers.

From a management perspective, Associate Professor Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, believes that online sales, the misuse of celebrities for advertising, the sale of smuggled goods, and multi-level marketing schemes can pose many risks to consumers, especially with functional foods and nutritional products. “Currently, there are no specific penalties for violations when doing business online or in small-scale businesses. Therefore, these provisions need to be added to the law immediately. For example, regarding advertising, businesses need to prove product quality to the authorities to obtain advertising certification, and advertising units (newspapers, radio, celebrities, etc.) must base their advertising on this certification,” Ms. Phong Lan emphasized.

According to Dr. Le Minh Hien, Head of the Social Work Department at Cho Ray Hospital, the hospital has organized many activities to help cancer patients improve their knowledge and avoid falling into the "trap" of advertising functional foods that claim to cure all diseases, thus preventing them from abandoning treatment. Specifically, the Chemotherapy Department, the Radiotherapy Department, and the Palliative Care Department all have bookshelves containing numerous books on cancer and nutrition by leading experts; they offer weekly yoga classes; and they organize the "Accompanying Cancer Warriors" program to boost the morale of patients...

GIAO LINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bay-quang-cao-enzyme-chua-lanh-ung-thu-post796559.html