The Ebola virus has caused panic in some parts of the world that an epidemic could be just round the corner. Already almost 3,500 have perished, mainly in West Africa, while a cure for the disease seems nowhere in sight.
This has not stopped numerous doctors, quacks, faith healers and even entrepreneurs from peddling their own cures to one of the deadliest viruses since the turn of the millennium. RT has delved into some of the strangest proposed remedies to stop the epidemic in West Africa and beyond, including… bathing in saltwater at midnight.
5) Vitamin C
Growing up as a child, parents would often speak of the necessity to drink orange juice or eat berries to boost one’s immune system by adding more Vitamin C. However, some scientists are now touting that this vitamin could also prove to be a cure for Ebola.
Thomas E. Levy, who is a board-certified internist and cardiologist, as well as been a bar qualified law practitioner, believes that Vitamin C can break down the Ebola virus due to its chemical structure. He believes a reaction can be created inside the virus, which will be enhanced by the presence of Vitamin C and this reaction can end up destroying whatever is in its immediate environment.
Took my 6th vitamin c tablet of the day just now.. I swear this Ebola stuff has me freaking out
— Sydney (@sydneyrosss) October 1, 2014
Dr Giffird Jones is another physician who is willing to talk up the benefits of Vitamin C, saying that it is the glue that holds cells together. He looks at the similarities between scurvy and the Ebola virus and tries to draw the conclusion that the two are related, due to a lack of Vitamin C.
“What is appalling is that researchers and doctors should know that vitamin C has cured viral diseases like Yellow Fever, Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Dengue Fever and other viral diseases. But no expert has mentioned the possibility of using large doses of Vitamin C to cure the Ebola infection,” Dr. Jones told the Windsor Star.
However, the craze seems not have caught on just yet, and surprisingly Vitamin C has not become the cure to all the world’s illnesses. There is no shortage of oranges or other fruit containing Vitamin C. Rather, credible scientists and those with enough common sense have dismissed this harebrained scheme for what it is.
4) Bitter Kola
The seeds of a tree from West Africa were also championed as a cure for the Ebola virus. For centuries parts of the Garcinia kola tree have been used in local medicines to help cure colds and fevers and there was hope it could even tackle Ebola.
Maurice Iwu, the executive director of the Bio-resources Development and Conservation Program, based in Maryland, believed that part of the seeds could be used to help stop the virus from spreading. This led to Nigerians carrying it around with them, since the latest outbreak of the virus, believing that it would give them a better chance of not contracting Ebola.
His research was published in 1999, but it was only at a very early stage and there was no further testing on animals or humans to see if could actually work. This prompted Nigeria’s Health Minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, to go on the record and refute the claims that compounds from “Bitter Kola” were a miracle cure.
"As I speak to you now, there is no proof yet of any such fruit. I repeat, there is no proof yet of any fruit," he said, according to the Vanguard news website.
3) Chinese medicine & herbs
Traditional Chinese medicines have been around for thousands of years, and have been claimed to have combated previous epidemics such as the Bubonic Plague. However, the founder of alternative medicine website Natural News, Mike Adams, says he thinks that herbs have the necessary known antiviral properties, which could prove effective against Ebola, “especially when the world of drugs and pharmaceuticals currently has nothing to offer whatsoever.”
ITG #ebolahttp://t.co/gbFMdyBBh5 Astragalus is categorized as one of the immune system herbs, and has been in ... pic.twitter.com/BnqRUS0zlP
— MSGU BOT (@MSGUBOT) August 8, 2014
Similar to those supporting Vitamin C as a cure, Adams believes that supporting one’s immune system is a good bet to fight the Ebola virus. He gives excellent advice, such as quitting smoking and getting enough sleep in trying to combat the virus. However, if one is misfortunate enough to catch it, then the best advice is to stay fully hydrated, boost your vitamin D blood levels, get plenty of rest and don't stress yourself.
2) Oiling out the toxins
Various companies selling beauty oils are trying to cash in on the hysteria surrounding Ebola. According to Science-Based Medicine website, the makers of Terra oils, the company’s website stated:
“The reason doctors can’t do anything for viruses is because viruses live inside of your cell’s walls, and medicine particles can’t penetrate those walls. Essential oils, however, have super tiny particles and a makeup that allows them to pass through with no problem! They go in, kill the virus while also stopping the viral cells from duplicating, and all the while boost the immune system so the body can continue to fight for itself. We’ve found that we can kill viral infections in 12-48 hours, depending on how quickly we start using oils.”
Unfortunately a cure for the Ebola virus has not been found and far from it. The US Food and Drug Administration recently warned three companies about selling oil remedies, after a series of complaints from unsatisfied customers.
“We noticed that when there is a public health issue that really comes to the fore – for example H1N1 a few years ago, and now Ebola – there tends to be an increase in health fraud products, which are products that claim to prevent, treat or cure disease and the product has not been approved by FDA," the agency stated.
BEWARE These do NOT prevent or cure Ebola colloidal silver, garcinia kola nut, vitamin C, cinnamon oil, thieves oil pic.twitter.com/uJvyVhxMBD
— Ebola Alert (@EbolaAlert) October 4, 2014
1) Bathe your problems away
Nigeria is not far from the epicenter of the Ebola virus and its citizens are certainly getting worried. Many are turning to saltwater baths as a last resort, after being recommended to by the ruler of the Igala Kingdom, Idakwo Michael Ameh Oboni II, who said that the salt solution would provide an effective remedy. He is believed by many in the region to have mystical powers, which he inherited from his father.
To fortify yourself completely against ebola virus ,add this salt to your bathing and drinking water pic.twitter.com/VEuLayAkxk
— PROJET EYE ON D MOON (@iTweet_Sugar) August 12, 2014
The rumors went viral (on the Internet, not the disease), according to the Premium Times, an online newspaper based in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. However, these baths could not be undertaken just at any old time of the day, they had to be carried out between midnight and before four in the morning.
“Ebola has finally entered Maiduguri! To prevent Ebola sickness use hot water to bathe before 4 am. Ebola is real!” a text message read, which sent residents into a frenzy, searching for any source of saltwater they could find, the publication reported.
Aside from bathing in salt water, other options included drinking some saltwater before bathing, as well as reciting some verses from the Koran.