A woman who was hospitalised after following a so-called health hack has urged people to take precautions before following the advice of health influencers.
Lutinii (@lutinii) said on TikTok that about six years ago she started sharing “holistic recipes” and following famous influencers who were “in the process of healing chronic illnesses.”
The TikTok user said they came across a video of an influencer who claimed that sprinkling cinnamon and cayenne pepper on oranges and eating them with the skin on could aid digestion.
Rutini tried it herself, but ended up feeling so unwell she had to go to hospital.
“I had to see a specialist, and I had an endoscopy, and they found out I’d actually burned my esophagus,” she said. “I suffered for months.”
She went on to share her concerns that the influencer is still sharing similar tips and now has a much larger audience, with millions of people watching her content.
“I think it’s the responsibility of content creators to be careful, but I also think we have a responsibility to look closely and not take everything we see with a grain of salt,” she said.
“This is the last time we’ll hear from health and wellness influencers.”
The video has since been inundated with thousands of comments, with one saying: “I don’t understand why anyone would listen to strangers online about their health. I don’t trust anyone!”
Another added: “Those of us with chronic illnesses feel so hopeless when the suffering is so severe. Life is trial and error. I pray you recover after this!”
Meanwhile, a third quipped: “The main thing is people need to trust the experts – go to dieticians for diet and nutrition advice not influencers. Glad you’re ok!”
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