TikTok's latest trend has medical experts concerned. The #FrozenHoneyChallenge involved freezing a water bottle full of honey and squeezing it out until a shaft of honey oozes out, and you take a bite.
The challenge went immediately went viral, with thousands of users posting videos of themselves doing it. The hashtag "#FrozenHoney" has garnered more than 60 million views.
Meanwhile, "#FrozenHoneyChallenge" has garnered more than 80 million views.
TikTok's Frozen Honey Challenge
Although the challenge only involves freezing honey, some users added corn syrup into the mix to make the substance less dense.
The trend began on YouTube's autonomous sensory meridian response community, or ASMR, as content creators used the frozen honey to create relaxing and satisfying sounds for their viewers while they eat the frozen honey.
However, the challenge is not as fun as it looks, as some users on TikTok complained that after doing the challenge, they felt sick and had diarrhea, according to Miami Herald.
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Medical experts stated that the main issue is the unhealthy amount of honey that the participants consumed. Eating small amounts of honey is acceptable, but eating more than a bottle of it can cause sugar overload.
Kristin Kirkpatrick, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, said that honey is good for your health. Using small amounts of honey as an alternative to sugar to sweeten your food is healthy, but eating half a bottle of it at once can be very dangerous.
Medical experts warned that eating bottles of frozen honey could cause diarrhea, stomach cramping, bloating, vomiting, and nausea.
Kirkpatrick added that 1 in 3 people has dietary fructose intolerance, also known as fructose malabsorption. This means that the cells in your intestines do not absorb fructose properly, thus creating gastrointestinal distress.
Consuming too much honey can also harm your teeth, as it can cause cavities and it can pull out your fillings, according to Vice.
Medical experts also warned users who kept making videos for the "Frozen Honey Challenge" because aside from diarrhea, stomach pains, and cavities, they may also be at risk for weight gain and disordered eating.
Dangerous Trends
TikTok users are known to go to extreme lengths to gain followers and views. Just last month, medical experts were alarmed when the "Dry-Scooping Challenge" went viral.
TikTok's "Dry-Scooping Challenge" started when an online influencer consumed raw pre-workout powder. The pre-workout powder contains creatine, an ingredient that increases your heart rate, giving you enough energy to complete extreme physical activities.
The pre-workout powder can also help you develop more muscles.
Medical experts who saw the trend warned users that consuming the powder without diluting it in water may result in serious health issues.
In June, a 20-year-old woman claimed she suffered a cardiac arrest after trying Tikok's "Dry-Scooping Challenge."
According to New York Post, the ingredients found in pre-workout powder can increase your heart rate. Thus it could result in a heart attack if not consumed properly.
Since the ingredients are too strong, it is highly advised to dilute the powder in water and drink it instead of eating a spoonful of it.
Warning labels at the back of the powder also clearly indicate that consuming too much could cause serious complications.
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Written by Sophie Webster
