Remember the chia pet? Well chia seeds are not just for gag gifts anymore. They do have positive health benefits. For example, seeds (two tablespoons) offer an impressive 10 grams of fiber, or roughly one-third of the daily requirement for adults.

There is also a TikTok trend, made popular by celebrity wellness influencer Daryl Gioffre, which makes use of chia seeds and fresh lemon juice to jumpstart a person’s digestion with a goal of alleviating constipation.

Omar Khokhar, MD, a gastroenterologist at OSF HealthCare, says the concoction is also referred to as an internal shower. To make it, combine one to two tablespoons of chia seeds with eight to 16 ounces (one to two cups) of water and lemon juice. Let it stand for at least 15 minutes, so the chia absorbs much of the water.

Dr. Khokhar says it’s one way to get fiber into your diet.

“It’s a very good, natural way to incorporate fiber and protein into your diet. However you want to take it [chia seeds] – a salad, as part of a parfait – there are other ways to ingest it. With this particular phenomenon, you’re mixing it to sort of help it expand ahead of time outside of your body instead of inside your body.” 

The concoction can make you feel full and adds to hydration, which is good for digestion.

Can the drink be dangerous? Dr. Khokhar says if you’re dealing with gastrointestinal (GI) disease or distress, skip the internal shower drink.

“If you have any history of esophageal swallowing issues or any history of intestinal obstruction, this is something you might want to talk to your doctor about ahead of time. Because what you don’t want to do is ingest this gel-like material and cause some kind of blockage.” 

He also warns that if you have constipation that lasts more than just a few days, see a medical provider, particularly if you’re in your 20s. Constipation can be an early sign of colon cancer.

“If you are constipated, for example, don't mask that symptom with a chia seed phenomenon that you saw on TikTok. Go see your doctor. Make sure you get checked out. And if you get checked out, then, by all means, go back to the chia phenomenon.” 

And start slowly. Adding too much fiber too quickly, Dr. Khokhar says, could have the opposite effect. It can cause GI symptoms such as stomach pain, gas, diarrhea, constipation and bloating.

“It can potentially cause bloating or make bloating worse, so I would be careful. If you have any kind of GI or pre-existing issue, it’s something you might want to start maybe a half dose and see how you respond before going with a bigger, normal dose.”

Generally speaking, Dr. Khokhar recommends also trying to get more fiber through your diet. Although, after trying the drink as part of this story, Dr. Khokar declared, “I’m not going to lie, it actually tastes pretty good.”

Dr. Omar Khokhar

B-roll of chia seeds and lemon water-drinking it

Are you looking for the latest food fad to jazz up your next party or impress your friends?  

Look no further than TikTok, the social media platform that has brought us thousands of unusual diets and recipes, such as chili oil eggs, Flamin’ hot Cheetos salad and Nature’s cereal, where the cereal and milk is replaced with fruit and coconut water. Don’t poo-poo it. Some users claim this new take on cereal relieves constipation.

And now the latest craze – videos of jarred pickles in shimmery glitter-infused brine are popping up. Even Jimmy John's posted its own glitter pickle video.

Nicole O’Neill has seen plenty of food trends during her long career as a dietitian. But glitter pickles, also known as glickles, is a first for the OSF HealthCare dietitian.

“I think it's a little silly, but also it's really fun,” says O’Neill. “People who like pretty things are going to love glitter pickles. They're just going to love them.” 

Edible glitter can be added to anything you like to eat, from decorative treats such as cupcakes and sugar cookies to beverages like champagne or sparkling water. “So, anything you can do to make your food more enjoyable, whether it's visually or the taste and flavor and the texture, because texture is a big thing too,” O’Neill adds. “That goes a long way toward making food more fun. Because food should be fun.” 

Making glitter pickles is simple. Take a jar of your favorite (it could be dill, bread-and-butter flavors, gherkins) and add a tablespoon of edible glitter to the container. Close the lid and shake well.

O’Neill says to make sure you leave the brine in your jar of pickles before pouring in your edible glitter. It’s also better to start with a small amount of glitter and add more later. Edible glitter can be found online, or the baking goods aisle in your favorite grocery store. And the choices are endless – ruby red, champagne red or tourmaline pink.

“You're going for an aesthetic pleasure,” O’Neill explains. “So, if you don't like the color of it, you can add more or less, or if you want to mix and match colors and coordinate with whatever your party is, you can always do that.”

The biggest takeaway is this: know the difference between edible glitter and craft glitter. Regular craft glitter contains plastic and aluminum and other harmful materials, which are obviously unsafe for human consumption. So, unless you’re making glitter dipped gift bags, stick with edible glitter for your pickles.

Pickles have been popular dating back 4,000 years, so adding a fun twist like glitter is no surprise to pickle connoisseurs. O’Neill credits the younger generation of TikTok users for igniting such trends. She compares the current hype to that of charcuterie boards that evolved over time.

“They went from just the regular boring cutting board with some stuff on it, to these massive, wonderful, amazing, artistic things,” she says. “They went to fancy stuff, like the charcuterie Christmas tree, where they put pickles in there, to cheese and the meat, and it's amazing. And now younger kids are putting their handprint on it and making it fancy and special.”

O’Neill isn’t sure how long the glitter pickle fad will last, but it’s a sweet addition to the long list of social media-influenced trends.

“Glitter pickles are just fun,” she says. “There's no nutritional pro or con here. It's just fun. Do what you like, enjoy it.”
 

Interview Clips 

B-roll

The popularity of entertainment app TikTok continues to skyrocket. It has been installed on devices over three billion times worldwide, and has surpassed Google and Facebook as the world’s most popular web domain.

The video sharing app seems to have something for everyone – from makeup trends and relationship advice to comedy sketches and life hacks. In fact, the company’s tagline in TV commercials is even, “TikTok taught me.” While recipes, fashion finds or cleaning hacks found on the app can certainly provide a smile, improve your life or save you time – sometimes the advice from TikTok influencers can fall flat, especially when that advice is medical in nature.

One of the latest TikTok trends that has medical professionals concerned is mouth taping, which is being touted as a sleep treatment. It is exactly what it sounds like; people are taping their mouths closed before bed. Dr. Kaninika Verma, the clinical sleep director for OSF HealthCare, explains.

“So this started with this TikTok challenge, where people would tape their mouth before they went to sleep,” she says. “They thought they were sleeping better because it prevented them from opening their mouth, and somehow or another made them sleep better because they were forced to breathe through their nose.”

But before you reach for that tape, be aware that many medical providers, including Dr. Verma, believe the risks of mouth taping far outweigh the benefits. Taping one’s mouth shut while sleeping could exacerbate breathing problems, worsen some risk factors of sleep apnea or simply cause sleep disruption.

“Most of us physicians when we when we first saw this, we thought this was a joke. But clearly it's not. You can buy these mouth tapes on Amazon and CVS, and all these places. So it's clearly a real thing, but it is not safe at all,” Dr. Verma warns.

Mouth taping enthusiasts claim that the practice helps with dry mouth, bad breath, oral hygiene and snoring prevention. Dr. Verma disagrees, and says taping your mouth shut to improve shuteye is not only dangerous, but could mask the root cause of a sleep problem.

“So the bigger question is, why are you using that mouth tape? Is it because you're snoring? Is it because you're a mouth breather? Is it because your nasal passages are blocked, or what is going on that's making you do this? So there needs to be a bigger question that needs to be asked, and to take a deeper dive about that issue with a physician or a trained professional,” says Dr. Verma.

Mouth taping is just the most recent TikTok trend branded as health or wellness advice. Dr. Verma warns that health trends popularized via sites like TikTok can have significant consequences, and any health advice coming from these platforms should be interpreted with caution. When in doubt, ask a professional.

“A lot of these are just fads. There are people doing this for entertainment. So be very cautious and very careful what you believe. If you have an issue – any health care issue – please reach out to your health care professional. You know, most of us – we've trained our whole lives to do this. We've dedicated our lives to this.”

Sleep disorders are serious medical conditions. Running on a sleep deficit compromises your ability to learn, hinders the immune system, and may raise your risk for other health conditions.

If you think you are having issues with snoring or mouth breathing you should consult your doctor or a sleep specialist. Visit osfhealthcare.org/sleep to learn more about OSF Sleep, including programs and services available.

Interview Clips - Dr. Kaninika Verma