“I’m not going to lie,” says influencer Dave Ramirez in a TikTok video, “that was pretty refreshing.” Ramirez is a content creator on social network TikTok.

Last month, his followers were able to see him take a big bite of frozen honey, straight out of a bottle on which he was pressing vigorously, giving the whole thing the appearance of toothpaste.

The video has been liked more than three million times, and the trend has generated nearly 900 million views. The story could have ended there. But, as often happens on social networks, it spread like a virus in times of pandemic.

Other influencers started to imitate Ramirez and to make their own mix based on corn syrup, bubble tea or, very cleverly, sriracha hot sauce. Some even teamed up with candy brands to offer their fans new sweets to put in the freezer.

A not-so-harmless experiment

But beware — eating such quantities of sugar, in any form, and frozen content carries risks and can have health consequences.

Sarah Rueven, a dietitian in New York, told the New York Times that eating large amounts of honey can lead to stomach upset and diarrhea.

Additionally, eating large amounts of honey over a long period can also cause weight gain and cavities. While these are far from severe side effects, no content creator is talking about that aspect on TikTok.

Ramirez, who has about 5.5 million followers on TikTok, said he had no intention of starting the trend.