Last month, former cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu made headlines, when he claimed that his wife, Navjot Kaur, overcame Stage 4 cancer in just 40 days through a simple dietary and lifestyle regimen. While healthcare professionals were quick to call Sidhu out for the dangerous misinformation, that could potentially take patients away from medically proven treatment options, it has given rise to a wave of social media posts and videos that are spreading similar claims about cancer treatments. 

First Check came across multiple videos on social media who were amplifying Sidhu's claims of curing his wife's cancer through diet and lifestyle changes; but more distressingly, many were using Sidhu's assertions as 'proof' of the efficacy of alternative treatments and using it to push their own unproven 'cures' for cancer. We looked at three such videos more closely, to help our readers sift the facts from fiction.

VIDEO 1: 'Hope for Millions: Sidhu Sir's Cancer Remedy is a Game-Changer'

An Instagram reel has gone viral, racking up over 7 million views and over 225,000 likes, which is captioned "Hope for Millions: Sidhu Sir's Cancer Remedy is a Game-Changer" and shares the recipe for a "Magic drink," or "Useful remedy" or "A game changer drink."

The video posted by a verified handle, with close to 80,000 followers on Instagram, shares the recipe for a herbal tea using orange, raw turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon stick which it claims "can heal our body inside out."

The video shows somebody making the concoction, with a video of Sidhu's press conference and pictures of Sidhu layered over it, and the only audio is of Sidhu speaking about his wife's 'miraculous' comeback from Stage 4 cancer. 

The post claims that the "magic drink" has multiple benefits, including reducing inflammation, relieving pain, boosting immune systems, aiding digestion, lowering cholesterol levels, reducing blood pressure, improving blood circulation and even improving liver health.

It also makes tall claims about it being beneficial for cancer patients, echoing Sidhu's assertions.

"Some studies suggest that turmeric and ginger may have the potential to reduce the cellular changes that are associated with certain cancer-producing chemical compounds," it says. 

VIDEO 2: 'Sadhguru has also endorsed neem as a cure for cancer'

A video shared on YouTube, which has garnered close to 60,000 views in about 3 days, claims that popular godman Jaggi Vasudev, who is popularly known by his moniker Sadhguru, has also endorsed the use of neem as a cure for cancer. The video was shared by YouTube channel, My Gyanalaya, which has close to 500,000 followers on the platform, and appears to regularly share content related to Sadhguru. 

The video in question begins with a bite of Sidhu, where he claims that "how she came back from stage 4 cancer in 40 days, and people say it will cost crores (sic.). You tell me, what is the price of neem leaves, and raw turmeric."

It then cuts to news clips about the Rs 850 crore notice issued to Sidhu's wife over the claims, and the statements issued by doctors that there is no scientific backing to the claims made by the cricketer-turned-politician, before going to what Sadhguru purportedly said. 

"Having neem leaves daily will just ensure that it limits cancer cells in the body to a particular amount, so that they cannot gang up against the body. So it is very important to have neem," Sadhguru is purported to have said, according to the video. It also adds that intermittent fasting is beneficial for cancer, as cancer cells will be starved to death when one is fasting.

According to manipulation detection tools, there is substantial evidence of the video being manipulated. The audio conveying what Sadhguru purportedly said, is in Hindi, while the godman is known to speak in English. 

However, it appears that Sadhguru had in fact made similar claims, back in 2019. 

VIDEO 3: 'Had shared this treatment plan a year ago!'

Within a week after Sidhu's press conference, a verified handle on Instagram, with about 539,000 followers, posted a reel claiming that Ayurveda expert Acharya Manish had shared a similar cure for cancer about a year ago. The video has close to 500,000 likes and about 10 million views. 

The video starts with Sidhu speaking of how his wife overcame stage 4 cancer through simple and cheap diet and lifestyle regimen changes. A voiceover then says that Navjot Singh Sidhu's wife was cured of stage 4 cancer using the cancer treatment that 'Acharya Manish Ji' had shared on a TV programme a year ago.

"What are cancer cells? It is a cell that eats more glucose. SO you cut it supply line. What is the supply line of cancer? Sugar, white salt, carbohydrates, roti, wheat, rice, anything that is derived from animals- milk, curd, cream, paneer. These are all the supply lines of cancer- you cut it off!," Manish then says in what appears to be a setup for a podcast.

He also asks people to follow an "alkaline diet" or "natural diet" for a few days. 

"Have turmeric. Chew on curry leaves. Drink the juice of mint and coriander leaves," he says while adding that one should drink the juice of any edible leaf to "increase the alkalinity in the body."

Cancer will not survive if the body is no longer "acidic," according to Manish.

The video appears to be presented as 'proof' of the efficacy of such alternative cancer therapies, which have no scientific backing.

SO WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

 After Sidhu’s press conference, doctors have been consistently warning that there is no evidence to support the claim that special diets can control or cure cancer. They caution that if Navjot Singh Sidhu's followers choose to follow his approach to cancer treatment, they may reduce their chances of a successful recovery.

The Tata Memorial Hospital Alumni in a statement issued on November 23 have already stated Sudhu’s statements have no high quality evidence to support them. “We urge the public to not delay their treatment by following unproven remedies, but rather to consult a doctor, preferably a cancer specialist, if they have any symptoms of cancer. Cancer is curable if detected early and proven treatments for cancer include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy,” the statement was issued by 262 oncologists.

Dr.Dhruv Chauhan, National Council Member Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN), said on X.com that the video of politician Navjot Singh Siddhu stating his wife is cured of 4th stage cancer by just following Sugar free diet , eating turmeric and avoiding dairy products is very misguiding to cancer patients and general public across the nation . “The public should be aware his wife Najvot Kaur was undergoing Chemotherapy , Radiotherapy and operated surgically with pain & palliative management in a modern medicine hospital and Not any Herbal centre . None of these original facts were stated in the video and only this herbal diet treatment was stated by him in the press conference,” he added.

“This is a thankless behaviour towards the oncologists treating his wife. The masses follow such vague advices with half knowledge by such public figures (hiding the main treatment course) and thinking that cancer can be cured by doing such herbal remedies and abstinence of diet. These factors also contribute to violence against doctors as public follow such advices and reach to doctors in terminal stages and expect them to do some magic treatment absence of which leads to anguish over the healthcare professionals,” he wrote in the post.

Also read: FACT CHECK: Acidic foods increase cancer risk?

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