TikTok is certainly known for some wild trending "challenges." There are plenty of new solutions to fix everything from your high blood pressure, to your weight gain. I suppose it shouldn't be a newsflash to say you should not get your health advice from a video-based social media platform. Alas, these things do sometimes catch on and millions of unknowing viewers attempt to cure ailments with some wild treatments.
One of the latest hot trends is sea moss. Yep. They eat it. You'll see an "influencer" open a jar of gunk. They dig a spoon into the gel-like substance. And they eat it. Suffice it to say, even if it cured blindness, I might have some trouble getting it down. Plenty of TikTok followers are jumping on the bandwagon.
Is it healthy? Is it advisable? Of course, these videos don't really tell you. And if you aim to shovel into your mouth anything an influencer tells you to ... yeah, you've got more problems than sea moss.
According to MedShadow Foundation, however, during an interview with a medical doctor, there are some risks involved. For one, sea moss is very high in iodine. This may sound appealing to some, but in large quantities, this can impact your thyroid.
Iodine is already added to table salt, and getting too much of it is a health risk.
The sea moss products are also high in fiber, which is great for most diets who aim to add more into their systems. However, doctors warn that doing too much too fast can cause some serious tummy troubles. It is advised that you add fiber in smally increasing increments, and not just go from 0 to 60 in a single day.
As with most supplements and even vitamins, these products are not heavily regulated. They are not FDA-approved at times, and don't have to even prove their claims.
To stay on top of this, and similar, medical trends, tune into MedShadow Foundation. There, you can find an extensive library on medications, conditions, health, and wellness topics that dive into the hard facts, such as research and studies on the matter, scientific facts and figures, not to mention actual advice from medical doctors.
No Internet technology should take away from your medical provider, and like TikTok, MedShadow is not intended to be your sole source of medical advice. However, by not taking any funding from big pharma, nor the medical device communities, this nonprofit keeps tabs on medical side effects so that you can make the right choices for yourself.
Be an informed patient, and make logical, sensible choices for your own health, by gathering facts about the help, harm, and healing medications can do.
By Melissa Finley
Editorial Content Manager
MedShadow Foundation
