There is no evidence for the virus claims
The voiceovers used in the videos are fake (more on that below) and the health advice given is unsubstantiated or incorrect. Let’s start by looking at the three treatments:
Little information is provided about how these “health secrets” work or how to use them, but one video explaining the benefits of taking moringa supplements claims that “the antioxidants in moringa remove toxins from the body” and fight the aging process. This is false.
This claim is widespread Health myths Substances called antioxidants can slow or even prevent aging. As Africa Check writes in this article: Antioxidants Fact SheetThere’s little evidence that antioxidants have any effect on this process, and even if they do, they’re not magic. For more information on why antioxidants do and don’t work, see our fact sheet. here.
Most of the videos don’t explain how the other two health claims work, but Africa Check has seen similar claims in the past. For example, the video recommends “drinking ginger with lemon juice in a glass of hot water every morning on an empty stomach” as another way to slow aging. This is Ginger, lemon juice or both It is said to prevent various diseases. These claims are false. While ginger and lemon juice can be part of a healthy diet, they are not known for their ability to prevent aging.
The final claim is that rosemary oil is “the quickest way to turn dead grey hair into long, smooth black hair.” Rosemary oil: mouse or rat small Human Studies.
These studies only show that rosemary oil promotes hair growth, but they don’t prove that it can change hair color or stiffness. And one doctor said: Said Medical institution Cleveland Clinic“The degree of improvement will vary; there are no guarantees.”
when Evaluate health benefits onlineBefore trusting any health product or home remedy, it is always important to thoroughly research the evidence behind the claims. Another helpful step in evaluating such claims is to see if the source is trustworthy. In this case, it is not.
Video impersonating disgraced “naturopath”
In this video, Australian naturopath O’Neill stands in front of a whiteboard. Naturopathy, or natural medicine, is Alternative medicine It is not based on evidence-based medicine and is often contradictory.
Natural remedies There are many different approaches and treatments, and they are not consistently regulated around the world. Naturopath Although some actively deny medical and scientific evidence, this is not necessarily the case.
O’Neill Permanent Ban He works as a doctor in New South Wales, Australia. Medical Complaints Committee The commission found that O’Neill provided misleading and dangerous health information to “vulnerable people, including mothers and cancer patients.” It also found that O’Neill had no relevant medical qualifications, repeatedly made false and misleading claims, and refused to even read guidelines written by medical experts.
But the ban has not dented O’Neill’s popularity: she continues to give expensive treatments, lectures and workshops around the world, and videos of her lectures are popular online.
Vox Report in February 2024 Audio recordings of her lectures have been widely shared on TokTok to promote dubious health products; in the example reviewed here, a video of O’Neill was shared alongside fake audio of her not actually speaking.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) models to mimic Human voice Voice cloning is often called “voice cloning”. This technology We’ve progressed to the point where we can create very convincing clones with surprisingly little human speech.
this is, An obvious jokeDuplicate The voices of actors in films But there’s a more sinister reason. Voice cloning technology The scammer Impersonating the voices of the victim’s friends and family Short audio recordings only They trick victims into handing over money.
O’Neill’s voice could be easily replicated, as hours of recordings of her talks and lectures are available online, and detection tools developed by AI audio companies. Similar to AI It is estimated that One of the videos was fake. tool Eleven Labanother AI audio company, that is “This audio was likely generated by ElevenLabs.”
There are clues that the audio may be unreliable: O’Neill’s speech pattern and mannerisms often sound awkward, which may be the most obvious to those who already know him.
Similarly, O’Neill’s regular health advice is not the same as that given in the video. For example, O’Neill Recommended unreliable home remedies Regarding ginger, she advises using it to treat inflammation, not for anti-aging purposes. Africa Check found no evidence that O’Neill made any specific claims in these videos. The original content of O’Neill’s talks should not be considered reliable medical advice simply because they have been overdubbed with other false claims.
The narrator also says O’Neill is 93 years old, but according to records from the New South Wales Health Complaints Commission she is Born July 28, 1954At the time of publication, she had just turned 70 years old.
Finally, wherever clips of O’Neill are used in these videos, none of them match the AI-generated audio. O’Neill’s mouth movements do not match the words she is purportedly saying, and the original clips are not related to “health tips.” For example, This video The video uses clips excerpted from O’Neill’s speeches. Mental Health and Brain RewiringThere is no mention of the alleged secrets featured in the video shared on Facebook.
This isn’t the first time that impersonators have used O’Neill’s voice online. Used online In the past Proved wrong various Fact-checking organizations.
