The Claim: Glufarelin milk can treat diabetes by controlling blood sugar levels.
Rating: FALSE
The Facts: Multiple Facebook pages with the same name “Glufarelin – Colostrum treating diabetes number 1 in the world” repeatedly claim that Glufarelin milk can treat diabetes by controlling blood sugar levels.
They claim that drinking two cups of this “high-tech” milk a day can “completely” cure diabetes. They also claim that Metformin and Insulin only “help lower blood sugar in a short time and have absolutely no effect on treating diabetes.”
The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have glufarelin milk on the approved list of food and drug products. Glufarelin milk is also not registered with the FDA.
Diabetes can best be managed through exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC). Doctors may prescribe insulin, other injectable medication, or oral medication to help manage blood sugar levels and avoid complications, but a healthy lifestyle should still be maintained even when taking medications.
To control blood sugar levels, the US CDC recommends keeping a healthy diet and active lifestyle, along with taking medicine as instructed.
Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the pancreas. It allows the body to use sugar (glucose) for energy and it also helps balance blood sugar levels. Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or if it is unable to use the insulin properly.
Metformin helps control the amount of sugar absorbed from the food we eat and the amount of glucose produced by our liver. It also increases the body’s response to insulin, so that the insulin can better control blood sugar levels.
There is no single cure for diabetes, but the disease can go into remission. This means that the body shows no signs or symptoms of diabetes, but it is technically still present. Even if an individual maintains a normal blood sugar level for over 20 years, doctors will still say their diabetes is in remission rather than cure.
Why we fact-checked this: Claims like these can affect people’s health and their willingness to get treated for a disease that is manageable.
