CLAIM: A Facebook user claims water gotten from snails (snail slime) and peak milk can cure partial or full stroke.
VERDICT: The claim that water gotten from snails (snail slime) and peak milk can cure partial or full stroke is false.
FULL STORY: On July 26, 2020, a Facebook user, Prince Nnamdi Enyinnaya Emelelu Eluwa, in a post claimed that water gotten from snails (Snail slime) and peak milk can cure partial or full stroke. The post which is over a year old has recently been reshared by other Facebook users.
This post has attracted over 73,000 shares, more than 11,000 likes and over 13,000 comments.
According to the post, taking three spoons of the mixture in the morning, afternoon and night for one week will help cure stroke.
It reads: “Get snails, those big snails, wash them very well with clean water, then break the snail gently and don’t waste the water that come out from the snails while breaking them. Gather the water from the snails together in a ragolis container and do this. This is how to collect water from snails.
“Soak the snails in water to get them drawned, then pick each snail and break the pointed end of the snail and was will be coming out of it, the water is not slining one but brownish in colour. After gathering the water together in a ragolis container, get a tin peak milk, open it then pour all the peak milk inside Ragolis container where you have the water from the snail and do this afterwards.
“After you have mixed both the snail water and the Tin peak milk together inside the ragolis container, shake it very well and follow the prescription below, this prescription should be followed accordingly for a better result.
“PRESCRIPTION:
Three teaspoon in the morning.
Three teaspoon in the afternoon.
Three teaspoon in the Night.”
Dubawa conducted multiple searches that show that this claim has been posted by several websites.
VERIFICATION
What is a stroke?
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke occurs when the blood flow that carries oxygen and nutrients to an area of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.
The health agency explained that the brain needs oxygen to work properly and if the flow of blood is blocked, the brain cells start to die because they can’t get oxygen. A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
The CDC reported that in the United States in 2018, one in every six deaths from cardiovascular disease was due to stroke, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, every four minutes, someone dies of stroke.
The agency also reported that every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke and about 610,000 of these are first or new strokes, about 185,000 strokes—nearly 1 of 4—are in people who have had a previous stroke, about 87 per cent of all strokes are ischemic strokes, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked.
Types of stroke
The three types of stroke are; ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke and transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini-stroke.
Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, about 87 percent of people suffering from stroke have Ischemic stroke. It occurs when blood flow through the artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the brain becomes blocked.
A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel breaks and bleeds into the brain. It is mostly caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure.
The transient ischemic attack, which is also known as a mini-stroke, occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked for a short time. The CDC explained that transient ischemic attack is a warning sign of a future stroke.
Snail slime and its properties
Snail slime, also known as snail secretion filtrate (SSF) or snail mucin, is a kind of mucus produced by snails.
Some studies have found that it is packed with nutrients such as hyaluronic acid, glycoprotein, proteoglycans, antimicrobial and copper peptides, which are used in beauty products, which makes it a popular ingredient in skincare.
In a published article by The Guardian, using snail slime on your skin will help fade scarring and stretch marks, kill bacteria, treat acne, promote optimal skin health, and exfoliate.
A mixture of snail slime and evaporated milk cannot cure stroke ― Experts
A chief consultant neurologist at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Nura Alkali, said that neither milk nor snake slime can cure stroke.
He said: “I’m aware that some researchers have isolated a chemical called acharan sulfate from the African giant snail. This chemical was found to have anticoagulant properties – meaning it can prevent blood from clotting.
“But even if this is confirmed in human trials, doctors won’t likely use it as a treatment for stroke. Keep in mind that stroke may result from either a blood clot or a bleed in the brain. Obviously, giving an anticoagulant to someone with a brain bleed will make them bleed more, and in fact, even those with brain clots may fare worse with anticoagulant treatment. That is why heparin, an anticoagulant widely used in hospitals, is not used as routine treatment for stroke.”
Alkali explained that the right solution to stroke is to take the patient to the hospital for the right treatment.
“Managing stroke is not just about dissolving clots. The patient may require oxygen, control of raised blood pressure, treatment of seizures, and so on. These are all best done at the hospital.”
He added that “Stroke can be prevented by avoiding or treating the well-known stroke risk factors, which include sedentary lifestyle, obesity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol use, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease. Changes in lifestyle and regular medical check-ups are the starting steps.”
A professor of neurology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Yomi Ogun, described the claim that the mixture of snail slime and milk to cure stroke as untrue.
“There is no scientific evidence to support this claim. Stroke is treatable, not curable,” he said.
Another expert, a medical practitioner, Toluwani Binutu, advised that stroke is such a serious condition and it is best to follow what has been proven to get results.
“The most obvious repercussion of taking the snail slime and milk mixture is time wastage. Precious time that can be used in implementing proven treatment will be spent trying some experiments which have the potential for harm,” he said.
Speaking on the right treatment and prevention for stroke, he explained that the combination of medication, physical therapy and lifestyle changes get the best results.
“The best way to reduce the chances of having a stroke is to eat healthy, cut out harmful habits like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and getting physically active,” he concluded.
CONCLUSION
The claim that water gotten from snails (snail slime) and peak milk can cure partial or full stroke is false. Experts noted that stroke is a serious medical condition and the right solution to stroke is to take the patient to the hospital for the right treatment.
The researcher produced this fact-check per the Dubawa 2021 Kwame KariKari Fellowship partnership with The Nigerian Tribune to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
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