Nutritionist warns TikTok 'frozen honey trend' that sees users create their sweet homemade treats in water bottles puts them at risk of dizziness, nausea and long-term issues like diabetes
- Frozen honey has become a TikTok trend with more than 900 million views
- But high sugar content is affecting some participants and making them ill
- Nutritionist Alicia Cooper told FEMAIL it can cause nausea and irritability as well as dangerous long-term affects like diabetes
A nutritionist has revealed the dangerous side of the TikTok frozen honey trend, warning it can cause those who try it palpitations and feelings of dizziness, nausea and irritability.
The social media trend, started by Dave Ramirez, 29, from California, sees TikTok users freeze honey inside a plastic water bottle to form a jelly-like substance that can be squeezed out and bitten into.
Videos showing people making the sweet treat have been viewed more than 900 million times - with people also experimenting by adding corn syrup and food colouring to create colourful and satisfying visuals.
But London-based nutritionist Alicia Cooper, 30, of Alicia Cooper Nutrition has warned against trying it, telling FEMAIL: 'When you flood the body with too much sugar, your pancreas is forced to release a large amount of insulin—a hormone responsible for allowing glucose to enter cells and removing it from the bloodstream.
'Having too much sugar in the bloodstream (hyperglycaemia) can damage blood vessels that supply vital organs and puts you at risk for heart disease & nerve damage.'
'The large amount of insulin released could also lead to a condition known as 'insulin shock' where blood glucose levels fluctuate very rapidly and results in low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia).'
'Those participating in the challenge might feel an initial sugar high, but with a crash shortly afterwards, leaving them feeling dizzy, nauseous, irritable and experiencing palpitations.'
With nearly a billion views, the trend quickly evolved to include other flavours, but in doing so creators soon found that honey's taste was difficult to mix with, so they took to using corn syrup, a product that is restricted in the UK by a production quota.
![Californian Dave Ramirez started the partially solid frozen honey trend in a TikTok video](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/17/16/46608051-9878031-Californian_Dave_Ramirez_started_the_partially_solid_frozen_hone-m-3_1629214181875.jpg)
![Dave Ramirez and other TikTok creators have taken to using corn syrup as a substitute for honey, in order to try new flavours](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/17/16/46608055-9878031-Dave_Ramirez_and_other_TikTok_creators_have_taken_to_using_corn_-a-4_1629214187082.jpg)
Californian Dave Ramirez started the partially solid frozen honey trend in a TikTok video
Soon after, those taking part in the trend started reporting feeling sick and experiencing diarrhoea.
Eloise Fouladgar, who has more than 3.6 million followers on the social media platform told The New York Times her boyfriend felt immediately ill after trying her creation.
Where corn syrup is included, Alicia warns that it could end up being even more damaging than honey.
'Corn syrup is a processed form of sugar that is very high in fructose, which is absorbed more rapidly than regular sugar,' she added.
'It is cheaper and sweeter too.
'When consuming a normal portion size of corn syrup (around one teaspoon to one tablespoon) it would not be detrimental to your health—but consuming it in a large amount in a short space of time could potentially shock the body and lead to various undesirable side effects.'
She also explained that honey is better than corn syrup as it has a lower glycaemic index - a measure of how quickly foods containing carbohydrates, such as fruits, cereals and baked goods, raise glucose levels in the bloodstream.
'Honey contains a mix of fructose, glucose, sucrose and around 15-17 per cent water.
'It is also a source of vitamins and minerals.
'As such it has a slighter lower GI (glycaemic index) than normal table sugar.
'Glycaemic index measures how quickly a carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels.
'In comparison, honey has a GI index of 58 and corn syrup is sky high at 90+ - so doing this TikTok trend with corn syrup could definitely be considered worse than doing it with honey.'
Alicia isn't surprised that TikTok user have been reporting diarrhoea as she explains that large amounts of fructose can lead to a laxative effect.
'The reason for this is when the digestive tract is exposed to excessive sugar (particularly fructose), it can lead to incomplete fructose absorption - resulting in a host of gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhoea, bloating, stomach ache, flatulence and nausea.'
![Nutritionist, Alicia Cooper (above), warns trend participants that frozen honey and corn syrup can cause adverse side effects very quickly](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/21/08/46613493-9878031-Nutritionist_Alice_Cooper_above_warns_trend_participants_that_fr-a-1_1629529919295.jpg)
Nutritionist, Alicia Cooper (above), warns trend participants that frozen honey and corn syrup can cause adverse side effects very quickly
'Other symptoms that people could experience when trying this trend could also include: headaches, migraines, shakiness, dizziness, mood changes, hunger, constipation, palpitations—the list goes on.'
Talking about the potential long term effects of this trend, Alicia advises that if people take an excess of sugar often enough it could lead to a host of problems.
'Weight gain, an increased your risk of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, heart disease, neuropathy, chronic inflammation are all at risk, not to mention rotting your teeth.
She advises that for people hooked by trends such as this should do careful research in the future.
'Trusting everything you see on social media can be dangerous and have serious consequences for your health—make sure you read up on the implications before you try something like this.'
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