" That ’s one of the matter that exists around the advice that was given is that there really are n’t boundaries defined for condom . "
This clause is not areplacement for seeing a medical professional . Gut issues are specific to each individual and could also indicate that there might be more rudimentary issues at hand .
If you scroll on TikTok or Instagram, you’ll probably find multiple “constipation hacks” that claim to relieve bowel issues.
For example,a Reelreposted in December 2023 by recipe developer Bethany, aka@lilsipper, who posts low-sugar recipes for people with IBS, claimed you just need three ingredients to help with constipation: an orange, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
While the Reel may have accumulated close to 500,00 likes and 44 million views, it seems people have either stated that they would rather use a different laxative method or simply be careful before trying this hack.
For instance, one person said they better go to the bathroom ASAP if they have to eat the peel of an orange.
Another person said they actually tried the hack a while ago when Bethany posted the video the first time around, and it did not work.
While we don’t know the exact timeline of when and if these events coincide, it seems people have come across a TikTokvideoof a woman, posted at the beginning of April, who claims she went to the hospital after listening to a health and wellness influencer.
According to thevideo, about six years ago, she began following a well-known health and wellness influencer who created holistic recipes and was in the process of healing her body from a chronic illness. Since the follower was also trying to heal from a chronic illness, she said that she started to lean into the influencer’s content.
“I ended up so sick, I had to go to the hospital. And when the doctor asked if I had eaten anything in the last 24 hours, I let him know that I coated an orange in cinnamon and cayenne, peel and all, and ingested it,” she said. “He looked at me and said, ‘Why would you do that?’ And you know what my answer was? I saw someone do it online. As soon as it came out of my mouth, I was like, ‘I deserve this.’ He said, ‘Well, now you might’ve burned your esophagus.'”
Across the video , the person wrote , " I suffered for calendar month . "
She continued, saying that she had to see a specialist and get an endoscopy, which confirmed she had burned her esophagus. She also explained that this event occurred years ago, but she recently saw the influencer repost the video within the last year. “This makes me upset because there are now hundreds of [millions] of people, looking to her for information… I’m not saying that the holistic route is not the way to go for most cases — that is the route that I go in most of my life. But it’s not one size fits all. Everyone has different bodies, everyone has different health histories, and everyone has different genetics, and it’s dangerous to recommend something for someone and say, ‘This is the cure to your digestion issue’ — but it’s even more dangerous to believe everything you see.”
Since this person posted their video, it garnered over two million views, with dozens of otherpeople stitching her videowith their own painful experiences of either trying otherhealth and wellness influencers’ tipsor how other medical professionals have givenincorrect medical adviceover social media.
Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, gastroenterologist, bestselling author, and U.S. Medical Director ofZOE, said it makes sense why a lot of people are having similar negative experiences with this kind of health and wellness content. “There’s an overwhelming amount of information out there, the algorithm is a black box that’s feeding us content based upon the biases it has identified in us, and everyone seems to be an expert,” he told BuzzFeed. “All these things make it more difficult than ever to separate fact from fiction.”
But even though the algorithm is feeding us this information, it doesn’t mean the content being pushed onto us is filtered through a reputable lens. That’s why Dr. Bulsiewicz suggests that people be “conscious consumers of information.” “Rather than accepting what’s presented to us, even if it’s exciting or tells us what we want to be true, we should first ask ourselves whether we have a reputable source for the information,” he said.
But how does one discern if the source is reputable or not? Dr. Bulsiewicz provided a list of questions you can ask yourself before accepting any advice from the internet.
Also, just because a health influencer’s advice goes viral, like the one above, doesn’t mean it’s backed by science. “Things are more likely to go viral because they’re unexpected and different, which makes them exciting. But there’s a reason why they’re unexpected and different—because they’re unproven,” he said.
For instance , there ’s no human research to keep going the orange constipation hackactually works , enunciate to Dr. Bulsiewicz . " The limited grounds that we have comes from laboratory animals , " he added . " Obviously , humans are a snatch more complicated and laboratory research often does not render to humans , so we have to be deliberate with it . We simply do n’t recognize whether this works or what the potential risk or side effects may be . "
This is why it’s even more important for health and wellness influencers to be incredibly selective about the kind of content they choose to create and post on the internet. “Outside of influencers and the internet, this is the reason we have governing bodies, formal certifications, rules, and regulations in order to be a health practitioner. You can’t just claim to be a [medical professional],” he said. “You have to get a medical license, which includes verification of qualifications, training, test completion, history of misconduct or discipline, and a background check. This typically takes many months to complete, and as a licensed physician, your conduct can be reviewed. Not to mention, there is obviously the possibility of malpractice lawsuits.”
So what can be some of the side effects and risks of the orange constipation hack? Dr. Bulsiewicz provided a list below:
While the above factors can impact the gut, Dr. Bulsiewicz said excessive ingestion of cayenne pepper was most likely the cause of the follower’s burned esophagus. “Certainly, we don’t know the state of this person’s intestines prior to ingesting the cayenne-drenched oranges, but if she had any sort of injury to the surface layer of her intestines – which could be the result of acid reflux, an ulcer, or gastritis – then it would make complete and total sense that cayenne would cause severe pain on ingestion,” he said.
Since our expert doesn’t know if the hack will work or not, there are other ways to help relieve constipation, according to Dr. Bulsiewicz.
It’s important to keep in mind that inadequate fiber consumption is a main cause of constipation, and95% of Americans are deficient in fiber, Dr. Bulsiewicz said. “The recommended amount of fiber in our diet is25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for menyet the average consumption is around15 grams per day for women and 18 gramsper day for men.”
That’s why if you’re experiencing chronic constipation, it’s essential to check with your doctor first before trying any hacks you find on the internet. “You want to understand why the change in bowel habits has occurred and to ensure there’s nothing more serious going on,” he said. “The treatment of chronic constipation is highly nuanced, with a number of over-the-counter, supplement, and prescription-strength medications as well as alternative constipation treatments such as pelvic therapy.”
According to Dr. Bulsiewicz, the bottom line is that if we addressed our fiber deficiency, we’d be a nation of “super poopers” instead of dealing with so much constipation.
" It ’s crucial to understand that we have scores of options for treatment of constipation that are proven by human studies — they ’re in effect , they ’re low risk , and we do n’t take to imagine , " he said . " So , while the unexpected and unlike idea may be exciting on the surface when it comes to our wellness , we ’re better off going with the tried and unfeigned option . "
Cameron did not reply to a request for comment .
