Experts dismiss claimed effects of 'height-boosting' essential oil

This article is more than one year old.
Published on August 1, 2023 at 05:06
4 min read
By Faith BROWN, AFP Philippines

Orthopaedic surgeons say there is no evidence essential oils can help to make someone taller, contrary to claims viewed thousands of times in social media posts about a product purportedly endorsed by a popular Filipino physician. The orthopaedists told AFP that a person's height is determined by genetics and lifestyle, and there are no non-invasive ways for an adult to get taller.

"Tips to grow taller", reads part of the Tagalog-language caption to a video viewed more than 1,500 times on TikTok here on July 4, 2023.

The video shows Filipino physician Willie Ong -- who regularly gives medical advice to his tens of millions of followers on Facebook and YouTube -- talking about height (archived links here and here).

"Do you want to become taller? You can grow taller by one inch to two inches," he says at the beginning of the video while gesturing to a screen that says, "How to increase height up to 2-4 inches".

The video then cuts to images of a product called "LIDORIA growth essential oil".

Screenshot of the false TikTok post, captured on July 27, 2023

A similar video purportedly showing Ong endorsing the product was also shared on TikTok here, where it was viewed more than 11,000 times.

Claims that people could grow taller by using the product were also shared on Facebook here, here and here.

But Ong did not endorse the product and experts told AFP there is no proof essential oils can help boost growth.

'No evidence'

Karissa Genuino-Regalado, an orthopaedic surgeon in Manila, told AFP that essential oils, like the product advertised in the false post, cannot help someone grow taller (archived link).

"There is no evidence that these oils produce the effect that they claim," she said on July 24.

She said corrective spine surgery may increase height when done to correct bone deformities like scoliosis and kyphosis. Applying internal metal implants or external multiplanar fixators when there is bone loss due to infection or trauma may also lengthen a person's legs.

"In a skeletally mature adult, there are no non-invasive methods of increasing height," Genuino-Regalado said.

Orthopaedic surgeon Carmelo Braganza also told AFP there are no studies supporting the claim (archived link).

"Height gain is mostly genetic, hormonal and affected by activity level and nutrition," he said on July 26.

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told AFP on July 27 the product has not been registered with the agency (archived link).

The FDA has previously said consumers should make sure products are registered with the agency "to ensure legitimacy and safety".

Fabricated endorsement

The clip of Ong used in the false TikTok post was taken from the beginning of a longer video published on his verified YouTube channel on September 25, 2022 (archived link).

The video is titled: "Grow Taller by 1-2 Inches Fast. Know What You Have to Do - Dr Willie Ong's Advice".

Below is a screenshot comparison of the clip used in the false TikTok post (left) and Ong's YouTube video (right):

Screenshot comparison of the clip used in the false TikTok post (left) and Ong's YouTube video (right)

In the video, Ong points out that while people are still growing, their height is determined by nutrition and lifestyle, as well as genetics.

Ong recommends eating healthy food, exercising, getting enough sleep, stretching, and seeking doctors' advice to increase height. He does not mention using "LIDORIA growth essential oil" or show the product in the video.

His videos and likeness have previously been used to give the impression he is endorsing a product with spurious medical claims. AFP has debunked some of those claims here, here and here.

Ong has repeatedly spoken out against these scams on his official Facebook page here and here (archived links here and here).

"There are so many scams using my name, as well as other celebrities. If you see ads like that, almost all of them are fake. We are only endorsing one product, which is Birch Tree Advance," he said in a video message posted on Facebook on April 18 (archived link).

He also previously told AFP: "If an advertisement does not come out of my Facebook page, then we are not endorsing it."

The problem is not unique to the Philippines; AFP's fact-checkers have also exposed a slew of cases around the world in which fraudsters impersonated doctors, fabricating their comments or endorsements to push out bogus treatments and products or to peddle propaganda.

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