We no longer hide our stomach issues, in part because of TikTok's normalisation of the topic.
You can now talk openly on social media about having trapped gas, and being loud and proud about having IBS has become the norm. This attitude is adopted as respectability politics go out the window, particularly among the Gen Z demographic.
Social media discussions support the present emphasis on gut health in the wellness sector. According to Jessica Sepel, more people are realising how our gut health affects many other biological systems, such as our emotional and physical well-being.
Scientists are now providing us with increasing volumes of information on the microbiome, which has prompted us to pay more attention to the function of the gut.
On the face of it, gut health awareness and knowledge appear to be empowering, yet there may be dangerous, perhaps toxic, undertones to the fad.
@_mimzilla #stitch with @everyday_foodie it’s not “internal showers” it’s Aztec traditional drink please stop #colonizing things #internalshower #internalshowerdrink #tarahumara #indiginous #mexicantiktok ♬ MEAN! - Madeline The Person
The “internal shower” drink is a prime example of the current wellness craze on TikTok.
Two tablespoons of chia seeds, lemon juice, and water are added to the beverage, which is then allowed to sit for 10 minutes before it is drunk. The health potion is supposed to stimulate your bowels and have you pooping quickly.
But is the drink genuinely healthy? Chia seeds are rich in fibre, and when they are soaked in water they acquire a gel-like consistency that facilitates bowel movements.
Adult women are advised to consume 25g of fibre each day, yet the majority fall short of this recommendation.
Dietitian Chelsea, who specialises in IBS, observes on TikTok that two tablespoons of chia seeds are equivalent to about 40% of the daily recommended allowance of fibre.
@laurenamanda__ Had to jump on the internal shower thing 😂 💩 let’s see if it works #internalshower ♬ original sound - Lauren Amanda
“You should be careful, since consuming too much fibre can sometimes be problematic. I would not advocate for individuals to follow this trend,” says scientist Nina Julia.
She draws attention to the drink’s links to diet culture owing to its emphasis on being a "detox". Indeed, TikTokers themselves refer to it as a “hormonal cleanse” and a “post-weekend drinking detox”.
“TikTokers making this trend go viral say that increasing your bowel movements can help you reverse all the "harm" you've done over the weekend. But things simply don't function that way. You should always follow your body's normal bowel movements because this tendency might be significantly harmful to your health,” says Julia.
Although Dr Daryl Gioffre, a famous nutritionist, has recently been credited as the inventor of this beverage, its history may be marred by cultural appropriation. He described the drink as a "constipation reliever shot". He has said on TikTok that it was a "powerful concoction“ he created years ago to help him with his own gut issues.
Mimi (@mimzilla), a TikTok user, discussed the history of the beverage, and said: "Internal showers are a long-standing Aztec and Mayan custom, not a modern trend. These beverages are holy.
“It's a beverage that has been around for generations and is also known by the traditional names Iskiate and agua de chia (which translates as ‘chia water’).
"Don't rename things; rather, honour them as they should be," Mimi said in one of her viral TikTok videos.
TikTok has emerged as a go-to source for rapid fixes and popular hacks. Because of this, important details and nuance frequently get lost in the deluge of trending videos (currently "internal shower" has over 187 million views on TikTok).
A slower pace of life is associated with wellness, which runs counter to the convenience and speed we are all chasing. Is health culture only making us sicker, since it feels at odds with TikTok's fixation on virality?
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