‘Causing harm’: TikTok ‘health’ trends to avoid

The trending health hacks flooding TikTok could do more harm than good, experts warn. Vote in our poll.

From sticking garlic up your nose when you feel the sniffles coming on to the recent “internal shower” craze, TikTok is flooded with health myths.

But how can you know if any of these unsubstantiated quick fixes and trending hacks are safe or will work?

The “internal shower”, for example, was attributed to celebrity nutritionist Dr Daryl Gioffre with the three-ingredient chia seed-based drink promising to relieve constipation quicker than you can run to the nearest bathroom. It has racked up more than 91 million views to date. According to many who’ve tried it, however, it doesn’t live up to the hype.

“People need to treat these sorts of health trends and alternative treatments with caution as there’s often no scientific evidence base to support them,” warns Professor Karen Price, a GP and President of the RACGP.

She also says that seemingly harmless alternative treatments can have unexpected consequences for your health.

“Many people would be surprised to discover that vitamin supplements are often unnecessary and can cause harm,” says Professor Price. “For example, taking too many supplements can lead to a build-up of certain vitamins in the body and affect kidney function.”

Younger Australians are especially vulnerable when it comes to fad health trends.

“We know that teens are using social and digital media for just about everything,” says

Jessica Stokes-Parish, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Bond University in

Queensland. “According to the 2020 eSafety survey, 95 per cent of teens use

digital media. Teens cite a variety of reasons for using social media, and when it

comes to researching information the majority of teens seek health information.”

Teens turn to social media for health advice because it’s accessible.

“We also know that people like to get information from people they trust,” she says. “On social media, there’s a false sense of relationship and trust created, however, it’s often a one-way relationship that only the viewer has.” 

Besides causing actual harm, Professor Stokes-Parish also says that the dangers of

blindly following health trends can put you on a slippery slope of harm.

“We may begin participating in something relatively harmless, but it acts as a gateway for

gradually more harmful things,” she explains. “In the instance of internal showers, for

example, chia seeds can make you feel bloated and make you even more constipated.

A healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fibre and water is the best preventive for

constipation.” 

Price urges anyone considering an alternative treatment to see their GP.

“Don’t go looking for pseudo cures, health elixirs and quick fixes on TikTok or any

other social media platform,” she says. “I also want to reassure young people who

might feel uncomfortable or afraid to discuss their concerns that GPs are very

approachable. There’s nothing you can’t ask us or that we’re not willing to discuss.”

HEALTH TRICK TURNS SOUR

Marty Spargo is a FIFO worker and blogger from Perth with an interest in healthy

living. He tried the recent TikTok weight loss trend of adding lemon juice to coffee,

resulting in an “embarrassing” trip to the emergency department.

“After two hours of consuming my homemade lemon latté I felt terrible,” admits the 40-year-old.

Besides nausea, Spargo says he had anxiety from too much caffeine and a pounding

heartbeat. He was monitored, and after an hour his discomfort gradually subsided so

he was allowed to go home.

He says people should keep in mind that anyone can post anything on social media platforms. 

“Don’t blindly follow the advice of a random person on the internet, even if they are

someone that you feel like you know because you’ve been following them for a while,”

he says. “And always check with a real doctor before trying some crazy new fad that

might be doing the rounds.” 

MAKING SENSE OF IT

Professor Stokes-Parish has the following advice on what to look out for when reading health trends:

• Be aware that conflicts of interest occur when an individual stands to benefit from a

certain message, this can make the information less reliable.

• References are important as they show evidence to back a claim, and whether the

author is across the body of evidence and key work.

• Anyone can write about anything, and their expertise/qualifications (or lack of)

relative to a topic is important when determining how much weight to give the

content.

• Buzz words are great for drawing you in, science washing and misleading you with

jazzy claims.