Claim: Viral posts on social media claimed that Dr Gilbert A Kwak, a professor at ICBS General Hospital, stated that hot fig water can cure cancer and that hot figs can “destroy” cancer cells. Fact: Although test tube studies have shown that figs possess some anti-cancer properties, there is no credible evidence to support the […]
Claim: A viral WhatsApp forward claims that castor oil can help rid a person of cataracts Fact: There is no evidence to support that the use of castor oil can cure cataracts, in fact, castor oil use in your eyes can cause adverse reactions. On 7 December 2023, Soch Fact Check was sent a viral WhatsApp […]
Claim: A video shows the process of making chicken nuggets, indicating that rubber is one of the key ingredients in the said fast food. Fact: The video shows the process of manufacturing rubber bands. It is unrelated to chicken nuggets. On 20 August 2023, the Facebook user ‘Kimberly Saxelby’ posted a video (archive) allegedly showing […]
Claim: A viral video on WhatsApp claims that Maggi instant noodles are manufactured from flour that has rotted for four to five days as well as pig marrow. Fact: The claim is false and based on a misleading video which does not show Maggi’s actual manufacturing process. The instant noodles sold in Pakistan are halal, […]
Claim: A viral video posted on Instagram and Facebook claims the people from Hunza never get cancer, the average age among them used to be 160, apricot seeds can prevent cancer,, and that their broken bones heal in days, and they don’t get wrinkles. Fact: The video is full of false and misleading claims that […]
Claim: Pakistani doctors were called expensive and worthless by BBC News, Pakistani doctors do not meet international medical standards, and numerous facts and figures from a recent study in the Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences show their incompetence. Fact: These claims are false or misleading. BBC News has not published any such story or study […]
Claim: Social media posts claim that the percentage of women who smoke in Pakistan has surged to 72%, citing the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) as the source. Fact: This claim is false. The Pakistan Tobacco Board said that the figure was from a 2005 survey and PTB has no involvement in it. On 23 July […]
Claim: Women these days reach menopause by age 30. Fact: It is factually incorrect that women these days reach menopause by age 30. Two gynaecologists that Soch Fact Check spoke to, as well as a number of peer-reviewed research papers and studies, prove that women in Pakistan reach menopause around the age of 47-55. Furthermore, […]
Claim: A study found lab-grown meat from a Bill Gates-backed company causes cancer. Fact: The claim is false and based on a misinterpretation of a study that did not test any lab-grown meat products funded by Gates. The study tested a plant-based meat product backed by Gates but found no link to cancer. On March […]
Claim: Video clips uploaded on Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok show raining worms in China. Fact: The videos actually show catkins and not worms. Catkins are a cylindrical flower from poplar trees which appears to be wriggling in the rain, giving the appearance of worms. From 11 March 2023, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok were flooded with […]
Claim: A video shows pills found inside cakes by Turkish brand Luppo to subtly “sterilise” Muslim children in Pakistan. Fact: The video is old and not related to Pakistan. The company has refuted the claims and provided laboratory results showing its products are not contaminated. The image of a girl child accompanying one of the […]
Claim: The CyberKnife is an almost miraculous treatment option with a success rate of 99%, that can cure cancer patients in a few hours. Fact: The claim is misleading. The CyberKnife system is a radiation therapy that is used to treat cancerous tumours at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC). However, the claim that it cures […]