The Facebook GlucoPro groups operate like an informal health marketplace. Seete, the South African woman, became a member after clicking on a Facebook ad that falsely promised a cure for diabetes. She is only one of many people who fall for deceptive ads that prey on vulnerable users.
GlucoPro South Africa was created in 2021 and has more than 6,000 members at the time of this report. The group frequently publishes posts endorsing unproven health products and purported natural remedies, promoting them as substitutes for science-proven medicines. Their posts give false hope to patients and discourage evidence-based treatment, creating a dangerous environment for people seeking real healthcare solutions.
To appear credible, the group administrators and promoters frequently pose as satisfied customers or health professionals, sharing glowing testimonials and before-and-after photos. They then refer potential buyers to WhatsApp or Facebook inboxes for private conversations, which are where the actual transactions take place. The group members are urged to buy these supplements, marketed as miracle cures, at exorbitant prices, with vague promises of eliminating diabetes or ‘flushing out’ sugar from the body. No scientific evidence is provided, and attempts to question the claim are usually ignored.
Two accounts, Freni Khan and Amina Angel Patel, act as sales representatives on a GlucoPro Facebook group, which has more than six thousand members as sales representatives in South Africa. They both respond to anyone who needs information, as does the group administrator, who often requests phone numbers in order to contact interested buyers.
A Facebook profile known as GlucoPro – Philippines, with over 4,100 followers, manages the GlucoPro Facebook group. The page and group both promote unapproved medical claims under the About section, including false promises that GlucoPro “ends diabetes and gets rid of your diabetes forever.” It makes the false and scientifically unsupported claim that it can treat or cure both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
The product description also includes unverified health claims that are not supported by peer-reviewed research or regulatory approval. It claims to reduce LDL cholesterol, control blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, while reversing insulin resistance and reducing obesity. Its marketing relies on exaggerated language, claiming that it is “better than any other product on the market” and a “never-before-seen revolutionary formula.”
The page makes questionable claims regarding certification and ingredients. While GlucoPro is advertised as ‘100% VMStandard Certified,’ no credible regulatory body supports these assertions. Additionally, it claims that the product is ‘scientifically proven’ without providing evidence from any health authorities or credible studies.
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Amina Angel Patel did not respond when asked about her involvement in the GlucoPro sale in South Africa. However, when asked the same question, Freni Khan replied that she was only a sales agent and directed the reporter to contact the manufacturer. When requested for the manufacturer’s name and contact information, Khan refused to respond and subsequently blocked the reporter.
To further investigate the tactics observed in the group, a comment was posted on the GlucoPro South Africa Facebook group, indicating an interest in the product and expressing the need for it in Nigeria despite the group being intended for South Africans. A response was received within two hours, instructing the journalist to leave his phone number for follow-up.
Three hours later, a WhatsApp message was sent to the phone number provided by the reporter in the Facebook group. The message was sent by Sabeni Interconnect Calls Limited, a company with a WhatsApp business profile that claims to be the official distributor of dietary supplements for the prevention of various health conditions.
Sabeni Interconnect Calls Limited was registered in Nigeria in 2023, according to a search conducted on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) website.
The journalist, pretending to be a buyer, asked if GlucoPro could treat diabetes. In a response on the WhatsApp business account, the company claims that GlucoPro has curative properties.
An inquiry was sent to Sabeni via its email address and the company’s WhatsApp business account, asking for information on why the company markets GlucoPro for sale in Nigeria despite the product not being approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDCA) or any regulatory authority in the country. The email also questioned the company’s claims that the product could cure diabetes, given that no national or international health agency had certified it as such. The company did not respond to the email as of the time of publication.
More consumers speak
A staunch South African follower of alternative medicine, Thulani Zengele, claims his diabetes disappeared after using GlucoPro for 60 days. “My doctor confirmed that my glucose is normal, and I didn’t take any chronic medications,” he posted on the platform. Zengele, who is presently using another product, CardioZoom, for hypertension, completely rejects conventional medications. He accuses what he calls ‘racist medical boards’ of suppressing African medicines in favour of Western drugs, which he claims are profit-driven. “My parents died taking your so-called approved medicines,” he said in an interview conducted via WhatsApp. “Who approved of our forefathers’ use of herbs to improve their quality of life? Nobody.” Yet it worked.”
Zengele’s ideas are strongly influenced by what he sees online. “I found these healthcare professionals on Facebook”, he said, insisting that GlucoPro has curative properties. His views reflect a broader disinformation trend on Facebook, where videos and posts promote unlicensed health products as cures for chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, and joint pains. Zengele repeated similar claims, stating that pharmaceutical companies “kill us in numbers and promote dependence” for profit.
These videos frequently make unproven assertions that pharmaceutical corporations are seeking to prevent GlucoPro’s distribution, which Zengele repeats. He blames these companies for his personal losses, claiming they are responsible for his switch to unlicensed products such as GlucoPro and CardioZoom. He refuses to accept that the investigation has shown that the two products are dietary supplements marketed as curative health products and not drugs.
He also assumes that GlucoPro is a South Africa-made product. However, when informed by the journalist that GlucoPro did not originate in South Africa, Zengele responded angrily, accusing the journalist of bias. “You speak for the pharmaceutical companies. You already exhibit a preference for drugs rejected by racist medical bodies that oppose African values and customs,” he said.
Unlike Zengele, another South African, Donald Dorasamy, posted that GlucoPro didn’t work for him. Dorasamy has type 2 diabetes and spent R1,200 (₦105,737 or $65.79) on two bottles after being misled by an ad claiming it could cure diabetes in a week. “I’m still on my chronic meds,” he said. “I realised they’re just trying to make their product another long-term supplement, not a real cure.”
GlucoPro is available for purchase on e-commerce sites, Jumia and Jiji, as a health product for diabetes and hypertension. Misleading health claims, unverified medical promises, and scientifically unsupported claims are used to describe the product on both platforms, which could put customers at risk, especially those who are treating diabetes or prediabetes.
It is advertised on Jumia as a product that can prevent heart disease, diabetes, and cancers. It also states under the product detail that it’s being produced in India. GlucoPro is alleged to normalise psycho-emotional states, regulate immune function, restore metabolism, and treat or cure chronic conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. However, checks show no clinical research and government bodies have validated or approved any of these claims. There is also no evidence that GlucoPro is approved by the Indian Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) or by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
GlucoPro on Jiji is said to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, a review of the official FDA database reveals that no such product is registered or permitted.
The ad also alleges that the product has no negative effects and is effective for the control of weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as for insulin resistance. However, there is no evidence on Jiji to support these claims about GlucoPro.
NutriHerbs Plus is the Jiji seller for GlucoPro. The vendor information section states that the company only sells NAFDAC-approved products. However, NAFDAC has not registered GlucoPro.
A further examination of the NutriHerbs Plus website shows that it is involved in the promotion and sale of unlicensed and unregulated health products. On the website, it describes GlucoPro as a permanent cure for diabetes.
NutriHerbs did not respond to an email and WhatsApp inquiry requesting information about GlucoPro’s registration and evidence supporting its curative claims.
Notwithstanding these warning signs, GlucoPro and other health products with purportedly curative health benefits are nonetheless sold on Jumia and Jiji’s platforms without NAFDAC clearance. At the time of writing this story, neither company had responded to requests for comment on their policy and vetting procedures for unregulated and unlicensed health products promotional content published on their platforms.
This is the second part of an investigation into how Africans are being exploited on Facebook in the name of a cure for Diabetes.
