Editing Snake oil (section)

==Modern implications==
{{See also|COVID-19 misinformation#Herbal treatments}}

False health products described by medical experts as "snake oil" continue to be marketed during the 21st century, including [[herbal medicines]], [[dietary supplement]]s, products such as [[standing bell|Tibetan singing bowls]] (when used for [[healing]]) and treatments such as [[vaginal steaming]]. The company [[Goop (company)|Goop]] has been accused of "selling snake oil" in some of its health products and recommendations.<ref name="MedPageGoop">{{cite news |last1=Berman |first1=Michele R. |last2=Boguski |first2=Mark S. |title=Gwyneth Paltrow's Snake Oil |url=https://www.medpagetoday.com/popmedicine/celebritydiagnosis/77733 |access-date=15 June 2021 |work=www.medpagetoday.com |date=31 January 2019 |language=en |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214234650/https://www.medpagetoday.com/popmedicine/celebritydiagnosis/77733 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NASAGoop">{{cite news |last1=Belluz |first1=Julia |title=NASA just debunked Gwyneth Paltrow's latest snake oil |url=https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/6/23/15861586/gwyneth-paltrow-nasa-healing-stickers |access-date=15 June 2021 |work=Vox |date=23 June 2017 |language=en |archive-date=13 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213074928/https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/6/23/15861586/gwyneth-paltrow-nasa-healing-stickers |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the [[Xinhua News Agency]] claimed that the herbal product ''[[Shuanghuanglian]]'' can prevent or treat infections from [[coronavirus]]es, stimulating sales across the United States, Russia, and China. However, the clinical studies on its effectiveness have been inconclusive.<ref>{{cite news |last=Palmer |first=James |title=Chinese Media Is Selling Snake Oil to Fight the Wuhan Virus |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/03/tcm-shuanghuanglian-pseudoscience-chinese-media-is-selling-snake-oil-to-fight-the-wuhan-virus/ |access-date=3 April 2020 |work=Foreign Policy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205162551/https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/03/tcm-shuanghuanglian-pseudoscience-chinese-media-is-selling-snake-oil-to-fight-the-wuhan-virus/|archive-date=5 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="nytimes">{{cite news |last1=Phillips |first1=James |last2=Selzer |first2=Jordan |last3=Noll |first3=Samantha |last4=Alptunaer |first4=Timur |title=Opinion : Covid-19 Has Closed Stores, but Snake Oil Is Still for Sale |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/opinion/fake-treatment-cure-coronavirus.html |work=The New York Times |date=31 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401191016/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/opinion/fake-treatment-cure-coronavirus.html|archive-date=1 April 2020}}</ref> Su et al. published a report that the herbal substance has been shown ''[[in vitro]]'' to be [[cytotoxic]] "against a clinical isolate of SARS-CoV-2".<ref name="su20">{{cite journal|doi=10.1038/s41401-020-0483-6|title=Anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities in vitro of Shuanghuanglian preparations and bioactive ingredients|year=2020|last1=Su|first1=Hai-xia|last2=Yao|first2=Sheng|last3=Zhao|first3=Wen-Feng|last4=Li|first4=Min-jun|last5=Liu|first5=Jia|last6=Shang|first6=Wei-Juan|last7=Xie|first7=Hang|last8=Ke|first8=Chang-Qiang|last9=Hu|first9=Hang-Chen|last10=Gao|first10=Mei-na|last11=Yu|first11=Kun-Qian|last12=Liu|first12=Hong|last13=Shen|first13=Jing-Shan |last14=Tang|first14=Wei |last15=Zhang|first15=Lei-ke |last16=Xiao|first16=Geng-fu |last17=Ni|first17=Li |last18=Wang|first18=Dao-wen |last19=Zuo|first19=Jian-Ping |last20=Jiang|first20=Hua-Liang |last21=Bai|first21=Fang| last22=Wu|first22=Yan |last23=Ye|first23=Yang |last24=Xu|first24=Ye-Chun|journal=Acta Pharmacologica Sinica|volume=41|issue=9|pages=1167–1177|pmid=32737471|pmc=7393338}}</ref> However, another government media outlet, [[People’s Daily]], published a contrasting report urging citizens not to purchase the herbal remedy as it had not been recommended for coronavirus antiviral treatment and treatment measures had not passed clinical trials.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gan|first=Nectar|title=A traditional Chinese remedy said to help fight Wuhan coronavirus sparks skepticism -- and panic buying|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/01/asia/chinese-traditional-medicine-claims-coronavirus-intl-scli-hnk/index.html|agency=CNN|date=1 Feb 2020|access-date=6 February 2024|archive-date=5 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205162551/https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/01/asia/chinese-traditional-medicine-claims-coronavirus-intl-scli-hnk/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>