No, bitter leaf cannot cure malaria – ignore dangerous claims and seek verified medical treatment
IN SHORT: Claims that bitter leaf contains quinine and can cure malaria are false. Experts warn that this is dangerous information and that patients with malaria must seek effective treatment with quality medication.
According to posts doing the rounds on Facebook in South Africa, bitter leaf is rich in quinine, a compound which can “cure malaria”.
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“It is rich in quinine, a compound which has been demonstrated to cüre malãria, clean the liver, lymphatic system, and lungs,” the posts say.
(Note: See more instances of this claim listed at the end of this report.)
Bitter leaf is a plant that belongs to the genus Vernonia and is native to tropical Africa.
Africa Check has fact-checked many false health cures, some with potentially dangerous consequences.
And this claim is no different.
What is malaria?
Malaria is an infectious disease, caused by a parasite, and is spread to humans through mosquito bites.
Malaria is most common in tropical and subtropical countries.
Symptoms of malaria can range from mild, such as fever, chills and headache, to life-threatening, such as seizures and difficulty breathing.
Malaria prevention includes avoiding mosquito bites, using insect repellent and taking antimalarial medication. Treatments can stop mild cases from getting worse, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
If malaria is left untreated, it can cause severe complications such as blocked blood vessels in the brain, coma or organ failure.
Treatment for malaria includes prescription drugs to kill the parasite. The WHO recommends artemisinin-based combination therapy as the best available treatment for malaria.
This combines two active pharmaceuticals which have different mechanisms that work against the malaria parasite.
‘Quinine is no longer recommended as first line treatment for malaria’
Prof Lucille Blumberg, former deputy director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa, told Africa Check that the claim is false.
“Malaria infections require urgent and effective treatment with quality drugs with standardised amounts of active ingredients or patients with malaria will rapidly develop complications,” she said.
She added that there were many popular claims that natural compounds can cure malaria.
“In reality the amount of an active ingredient varies in these compounds.”
Quinine was used as a first-line treatment for malaria in the past, but has been reported to be poorly tolerated.
Blumberg told us that quinine is no longer recommended as first line treatment for malaria. Quinine has now been replaced by “very effective and rapidly acting safe drugs” like artemisinins, a family of potent anti-malarial drugs.
The dangers of health misinformation online
John Frean, associate professor at the NICD, told Africa Check that these claims are “unscientific nonsense” and also potentially lethally dangerous.
Health misinformation like this is usually spread by social media users who have no medical or scientific background.
When these users offer unscientific “miracle cures” for non-communicable or infectious disease it can cause harm to others.
This can lead to confusion, possibly causing people to pay for unverified products or not seek proper medical treatment for a deadly disease.
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It can also undermine trust in health authorities which hampers public health responses, says the WHO. So how can you stay safe online?
Tips on debunking false health information online
- Think about who wrote it: Medical information should come from verified organisations or peer-reviewed journals. Be wary of claims on social media without sources. If we don’t know who wrote it, how can we trust it?
- Look closely at the detail: Look for small giveaways in health claims online, like inconsistencies in ingredients, half-truths about treatment and disclaimers about its efficacy.
- Compare with trusted and official sources: Check if the claim has been debunked before by fact-checking organisations or look for information from trustworthy sources like the World Health Organization or the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
- Check it before you share it: When it comes to health information on social media, it’s best to err on the side of caution. When in doubt, don’t share.
The claim was also posted here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.