11 of TikTok's Most Absurd 'Gut Health' Fads

There’s a whole genre of TikTok videos that feature a woman with visible abs making a beverage in her kitchen. The identity of the woman and the purpose of the beverage vary, but the abs are a constant.

So, sure, there are elixirs for gut health. The lady above is making one that includes a fresh squeezed lemon (of course), mango juice, aloe juice, and coconut water. What does any of that have to do with gut health? Beats me, but hey she has abs. I mean, gut health.

While it’s definitely smart to rinse fruit before eating it, there’s no evidence linking the tiny amounts of pesticides found on produce with your gut health or waistline. This isn’t some groundbreaking gut health tip, it’s just basic food prep.

Here’s a fun way to boost the variety in your diet: track how many plant species you consume each week, and try to beat that number. Lettuce and tomato on your sandwich? Add the wheat from the bun and that’s three. This concept originated from research from the American Gut Project, which found that a more diverse diet leads to a more varied gut microbiome—although no direct connection to health has been confirmed, and scientists still haven’t pinpointed what exactly constitutes a 'healthy' microbiome.

However, TikTok has put its own twist on this. In this video, the narrator claims the transformation in her before-and-after pictures isn’t due to 'cardio and a restrictive diet.' But it’s clear she’s lost fat. Now, 'gut health' is just a trendy way of saying fat loss. Almost every video I’ve seen begins with a before-and-after of a softer, then toned, belly. If this were truly about 'bloating,' the abs would be visible in both shots.

Walks are great! Morning routines are great! And it’s true that your gut operates on its own 'clock' that knows when it’s time. But this influencer gets it a bit mixed up when she suggests getting morning sunlight to set your gut’s clock. Actually, your gut sets its clock by when you feed it.

If you want to sync up your gut’s clock in the morning, try having breakfast. An actual breakfast, not just a glass of lemon water.

Is this an old health fad making a return? Oil pulling involves swishing coconut oil around your mouth for a period of time, usually up to 20 minutes, in addition to or instead of brushing your teeth. Though it’s not great at that task, there’s no evidence suggesting it does anything for your gut health or abdominal muscles.

Over-chewing is another old suggestion that keeps resurfacing. It always reminds me of the scene in The Road to Wellville where the dining hall bursts into song: 'Chew chew chew, that is the thing to do/Chew chew chew, good food is good for you..'

Sure, your mouth produces salivary amylase to help digest your food, but there’s also plenty of it in your small intestine. While some studies suggest a subtle effect of longer chewing on satiety (how full you feel), the idea that chewing more will give you a TikTok flat belly remains unsupported.

Lemon water makes its comeback once again. But remember, not during meals, alright? Even though the water you drink before, during, and after a meal all ends up in the same place. Sigh.