Experts warn TikTok's frozen honey trend could give you diarrhea

10 August 2021, 12:15

Lizzo tries viral watermelon and mustard TikTok trend

By Jazmin Duribe

Does eating frozen honey give you diarrhea? Here are the possible health risks of the TikTok trend.

Frozen honey is currently trending on TikTok but experts have warned that there are actually multiple health risks associated with participating in the trend.

It seems like everyday there's a new viral food trend on TikTok. At one point, you couldn't escape videos of feta pasta, pesto eggs, folded tortilla wraps and pasta chips on your FYP. Now, there's a new food hack taking the platform by storm: frozen honey.

The trend is simple and all you need is one ingredient – honey (obv). It involves leaving runny honey in the freezer overnight in a plastic bottle. Once it's frozen, the honey forms a jelly-like consistency and people have been squeezing it straight into their mouths for a sweet and refreshing treat.

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Does eating frozen honey give you diarrhea? What happens if you eat frozen honey?

It's thought that the frozen honey phenomenon was started by Dave Ramirez (@daveyrz), who posted his own frozen jelly video on July 10. The clip now has millions of likes and views, and he's since gone on to freeze just about anything you can imagine, from fluorescent blue maple syrup to Nerds mixed with corn syrup.

However, experts have now warned that the delicious treat isn't actually very good for you at all. TikTok users have complained of experiencing stomach cramps and some have even had to run to the toilet after eating the frozen concoction. One TikToker warned that having just three mouthfuls of the honey "will cause urgent bowel movement".

Short-term effects of consuming frozen honey include tummy aches and diarrhea. "Sugars, in excess, can stimulate the gut to increase water output. And that can lead to diarrhea," dietitian nutritionist Marisa Moore, RDN, told Women's Health.

Eating a large amount of honey doesn't just affect your bowels, though, the sugar can also affect your teeth. She added: "My first thought was, 'Oh my goodness, their teeth.' Like with any chewy, sticky foods, I'm always going to worry about tooth decay or someone losing a filling."

And the long-term effects of eating too much honey are even more concerning. Moore said that the dangers include higher blood pressure or an increased risk for types of inflammation that could lead to heart disease.

Yikes. Don't try this one at home, kids.