Drinking Aloe vera juice is the latest health trend to take over TikTok — but doctors are warning that this wellness craze could have adverse side effects.
TikTok is responsible for just about every popular fad on the internet these days.
From making designer handbags sell out in stores to persuading basically everyone to try that infamous baked feta pasta, the viral video platform is known for sparking the next big thing.
However, some of these crazes can be dangerous: TikTok notably removed “milk crate challenge” videos due to numerous reports of injuries stemming from the movement, and doctors have warned against the site’s ‘Nutmeg Challenge’ due to side effects like hallucinations.
Viral Aloe vera juice trend sparks warning from doctors
Now, health professionals are issuing yet another warning toward one of the app’s more recent trends — drinking Aloe vera juice.
While you may have seen drinks with Aloe in them at grocery stores, this latest fad has users drinking the stuff straight-up as a dietary supplement.
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Aloe vera gel is often used as a topical treatment for sunburns and has been proven to help with skin conditions like acne due to its anti-inflammatory properties. TikTok’s new craze, though, is suggesting that people drink it to help with their skin and gut health.
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Unfortunately, it looks like doctors aren’t too sold on the idea, and several even warned against drinking aloe juice in an interview with Buzzfeed’s Fabiana Buontempo.
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“In my experience, Aloe vera juice is not helpful — and, in some cases, can actually be harmful,” Gastroenterologist Sypriya Rao said. “It can cause deposits of melanin in the colon, a benign condition called melanosis coli.”
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Dermatologist Dr. Diane Madfes had a similar warning: “This is not a good trend, in my opinion, and Aloe vera is only good for the skin when it is applied topically due to its soothing and hydrating properties.”
This is just the latest health-related trend to take off on TikTok, following the site’s viral coffee lemon weight loss “hack” that had doctors dubbing it “nonsense.”
