Jenny McCarthy claimed today that drinking large amounts of lemon juice cures ebola.
In an interview on The Today Show this morning, the former Playboy model and renowned medical expert was asked her opinion of the deadly hemorrhagic fever, which has devastated West Africa and threatens the U.S. and Europe.
“If you’re infected with the ebola virus, skip the trip to the hospital and go straight to your local grocery store,” she told host Matt Lauer. “Freshly squeezed lemon juice contains compounds called citronols which help your body fight off viral infections naturally.
“According to a blog post I wrote myself on the Internet, citronols are 100 percent effective in eliminating all traces of the ebola virus from the body and can even prevent infection if taken daily. They also help combat cancer, inflammation, heart disease and possibly Alzheimer's.
“The pharmaceutical companies want you to believe that ebola is incurable, so that they can develop so-called ‘treatments’ and make billions. But if you’re worried about getting ebola, save your money and your life and go to my website, where I have high-citronol lemon juice available for immediate purchase.”
McCarthy rose to fame in the 1990s as a model, actress and host of the MTV dating show Singled Out. She stayed in the public spotlight though her marriage to comedic actor Jim Carrey and a stint as a co-host on ABC's morning talk program The View.
In recent years, however, she has been better known for promoting pseudo-scientific theories about autism following her son’s diagnosis. She has claimed, for example, that vaccines cause autism and that chemical chelation therapy can cure the disease.
Although none of her claims are supported by scientific evidence, she has garnered a significant following for her viewpoint though books, television appearances and her non-profit organization, Generation Rescue. So far her fans seem willing to give her the benefit of the doubt on ebola.
“I don’t know what to think,” says Julie Anderson, a homemaker. “On the one hand we have the entire medical profession that says ebola needs to be treated in a hospital. But on the other hand, Jenny McCarthy is a celebrity. And don’t celebrities outrank doctors?
“If my kids get ebola, I think I’ll try the lemon juice thing first. And if that doesn’t work after a few days, I’ll take them to the ER.”
