Social media posts promoting hypertension treatments with Ben Carson endorsement are fake

A post on Facebook (archived here) shows a photo of American politician and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. The headline claims he has identified three natural elements capable of eliminating problems with high blood pressure. The post has received over 1,300 reactions.

However, it is a digital composite using Dr. Carson's photo and name.

Context

The Facebook post says, "Dr. Ben Carson discovered 3 completely natural ingredients, and as a result, blood pressure disappeared forever." The accompanying image features a photo of Dr. Carson against a backdrop of a test tube with a red liquid resembling blood. The overlaid text says, "Control your blood pressure. Give life to your heart." Another text block states, "At 72, I feel like I'm 25. All because I cleanse my vessels before bed with this remedy." Considering Dr. Carson is currently 72 years old and his photo accompanies this quote, it's implied that this statement is attributed to him.

The link in the publication leads us to an article with the headline, "After such vascular cleansing, elderly people finally get rid of high blood pressure and other 9 supposedly 'incurable' diseases!" The website is called Nature; it sells dietary supplements called BioHeal Blood CBD gummies. 

However, the post and the article are fake, and Carson has not endorsed such products. 

In fact 

Garrison Grisedale, a representative for the American Cornerstone Institute founded by Carson, said to Reuters, "These posts are complete fabrications, and Dr. Carson has made no such endorsement. They are not associated with him whatsoever."

Another representative for Carson told The Dispatch Fact Check, "Dr. Carson has never endorsed or even heard of this product. This is a scam and completely fake."

Clinical evidence doesn't support either claim that BioHeal Blood CBD or consuming the "three natural ingredients" regularly reduces cholesterol levels and cures hypertension. The Mayo Clinic web page dedicated to hypertension states that there are clinically proven medications that doctors prescribe to patients to control blood pressure. CBD-containing supplements are not among them.

The authors claim that Dr. Carson personally provided information for this material. (Source: Nature website, screenshot)

Medical institutions, such as the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, and the University of Pennsylvania, explain that a healthy lifestyle can help control blood pressure. However, hypertension is a lifelong condition, and no known cure is currently available, and none of the diets can make hypertension "disappear."

The purchase link in the article leads to a page naming the health benefits of these gummies. It also claims that the product contains ingredients that have been "scientifically proven to manage high blood pressure."

At the bottom of the same page, the following statement can be seen: "This product has not been evaluated by the FDA. Products and statements have not been evaluated by the European Medicines Agency or Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Results in description and testimonials may not be typical results, and individual results may vary."

The Nature website offers CBD gummies to regulate blood pressure but also adds that the "product has not been evaluated and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. (Source: Nature website, screenshot)

The viral article also claims two Japanese scientists were awarded a Nobel Prize for research into "active oxygen molecules" discovered in 2007. According to the authors, these molecules are the main components of the CBD gummies. However, no such research or scientist was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine or Chemistry between 2000 and 2023.

Bottom line

The posts featuring Ben Carson endorsing a product called BioHeal Blood CBD or other "natural" remedies are fake. A representative for Ben Carson denied any involvement or endorsement of such products. Moreover, there is no known cure for hypertension, and the claims in the presented article have no scientific basis. Considering this, we have marked the claim as fake.