In the fast-paced world of TikTok, where filters rule and facts blur, health hacks can turn from helpful to harmful in seconds. TikTok’s subcategory ‘#HealthTok’ has become a major hub for quick-fix health tips, now pushing over 160,000 videos concerning one’s health.
While some creators offer genuinely helpful tips rooted in science, many “health hacks” on TikTok are oversimplified, misleading, or flat-out dangerous. From DIY gut detoxes and “hormone balancing” smoothies to raw liver cleanses and supplement megadosing, the platform’s quick-hit format makes it easy for unverified (and unqualified) advice to go viral before anyone can fact-check it. Some of them are helpful, most of them are questionable, and the rest can be downright dangerous. The real danger is that it’s often hard to tell the difference.
Among the latest to make the spotlight are the carnivore diet, mouth taping, testosterone maxxing, and the cortisol detox. They promise the perfect beach-ready body and quick fixes to real health concerns. These cases all have one thing in common – health misinformation masquerading as empowerment.
Let’s take a closer look at each:
The Carnivore Diet: Meat, Meat, and More Meat
The idea is simple: eat only animal products (i.e. steaks, liver, eggs, and bone broth) and avoid plant based foods entirely.
Your new diet:
- Meat
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Seafood
- Fish
- Dairy products low in lactose
- Water
Say goodbye to the refreshing taste of fruit, the crunch of a colourful salad, the energy-filled trail mix snacks, and any drink that isn’t water. The list of prohibited foods includes: veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, sugar and alcohol
Followers of the carnivore diet argue that eliminating all plant-based foods can encourage weight loss, reverse acne, and even treat diabetes. Influencers are touting their clear skin and thin figures, but there is zero credible science backing up these claims.
There are significant long-term risks. It’s impossible to get all of the nutrients your body needs from animal products alone. Researchers warn that the diet lacks fiber, iron, essential vitamins like B, C and E, and electrolytes,
Because of the high saturated fat content in many animal products, it could increase cholesterol levels and heighten the risk of heart disease. The diet can also raise your risk of kidney strain and nutrient deficiencies.
It’s extreme — and unsustainable. But on TikTok, it’s dressed up as old medicine rebranded for the algorithm.
Mouth Taping: A Choking Hazard in the Making
Mouth taping, which involves sealing your lips closed with tape before you go to sleep, is being marketed as a way to improve sleep through nasal breathing. Influencers claim it has benefits like better sleep, reduced snoring, and even improved facial structure.
While nasal breathing is better for health than mouth breathing, taping your mouth shut isn’t a risk-free way to get a good night’s rest. It’s true, taping your mouth shut will stop snoring. But snoring tends to be caused by nasal congestion; if you can’t breathe out of your nose or mouth anymore, you end up in a pickle.
Mouth taping can cause interrupted breathing, accidental choking, or panic attacks during the night. It can be especially dangerous for anyone with sleep apnea and can actually worsen the condition, though mouth taping also poses increased risks for people with sinus issues or allergies.
Testosterone Maxxing: Biohacking or Bro Science?
“Testosterone maxxing” is the a big thing in some of TikTok’s male self-improvement spaces. It’s a catch-all phrase for efforts to raise testosterone levels; often through cold plunges, eating raw liver, abstinence from masturbation, and lifting heavy weights.
While lifestyle changes can positively affect hormone levels, the push to maximize testosterone at all costs can veer into toxic territory. It can encourage disordered behavior or steroid abuse, as seen with the related tren challenge.
*Tren challenge: Start taking the steroid tren and record your bodybuilding progress.
Boosting testosterone isn’t inherently bad, but the trend prioritizes results over safety. Too much testosterone is not a good thing. Here are possible side effects:
- low sperm counts, shrinking of the testicles and impotence (seems odd, doesn’t it?)
- heart muscle damage and increased risk of heart attack
- prostate enlargement with difficulty urinating
- liver disease
- acne
- fluid retention with swelling of the legs and feet
- weight gain, perhaps related in part to increased appetite
- high blood pressure and cholesterol
- insomnia
- headaches
- increased muscle mass
- increased risk of blood clots
- stunted growth in adolescents
- uncharacteristically aggressive behavior (although not well studied or clearly proven)
- mood swings, euphoria, irritability, impaired judgment, delusions.
Cortisol Detox: Cancelling Your Hormones
TikTok’s view on cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, paints it as a villain responsible for belly fat, fatigue, and burnout. Enter: “cortisol detoxes,” which typically involve rigid routines like cutting caffeine, avoiding high intensity exercise, and taking supplements to reduce cortisol.
Here’s the catch: cortisol isn’t toxic, it’s essential and you never need a cortisol detox. You need a baseline level of stress to support your immune system and maintain energy levels. Cortisol helps you wake up in the morning, manage stress, and regulate your metabolism.
You actually can’t detox cortisol — and trying to suppress it entirely can backfire. The body naturally raises and lowers cortisol throughout the day, and when levels dip too low, your hypothalamus floods your system with the hormone to restore balance. So a cortisol detox could end up actually raising your cortisol levels.
But if you’ve just finished a round of corticosteroids or you suffer from adrenal insufficiency caused by a misfiring immune system or underactive pituitary gland, you won’t be able to automatically restore cortisol. You may experience:
- Fatigue
- Unintentional weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Low blood pressure
Rather than fighting cortisol, experts recommend managing stress through sustainable habits: quality sleep, regular movement, balanced nutrition, and mindfulness.
You don’t need a detox to regulate your system. Journaling can help support both your physical and mental health.
Your Health Is Not a Trend
Consumers turning to the internet when it comes to their health is nothing new. When you have no doctor of your own to turn to or it takes weeks before you can see them, it’s almost a given. But there are credible sources of information online that are backed by research. Blindly following TikTok health advice can often do more harm than good. Wellness isn’t about discipline at all costs, it’s about balance, sustainability, and science.
TikTok trends come wrapped in the language of empowerment, masquerading as a way to “take control of your hormones,” or “optimize your biology.” But with limited time and resources, influencers often oversimplify complex bodily systems and offer extreme solutions without the research to back up their claims.
Before you try the latest health hack you scrolled past at 2 in the morning, ask yourself: does this trend serve your well-being or someone’s engagement metrics?
~ Read more from The Health Insider ~
- Plant Protein Is the New Power Move: Boost Energy, Support Health, and Ditch the Meat Guilt
Want to eat less meat without sacrificing protein? These plant-powered picks make it easy to support muscle, bone, and immune health. - Harmful Health Trends on TikTok: DON’T Try These at Home
Carnivore diets, cortisol detoxes, and testosterone maxxing are trending on TikTok—but experts warn they’re more harmful than helpful. - Journaling for Mental and Physical Health: A Step-by-Step Guide
Journaling isn’t just writing, it’s self-care. It helps ease anxiety, improve sleep, and opens your eyes to hidden triggers and small victories.
The information provided on TheHealthInsider.ca is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. TheHealthInsider.ca advises consulting a medical professional or healthcare provider when seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.