by Recently, TikTokers have been raving about the benefits of eating dirt (yes, real dirt – read more about that here ), and back in the summer, some users of the popular social media app making a fuss about drinking coffee with chips. And that’s just scratching the surface of the many food trends spread across the app. Many eventually fall out of favor, but for over a year now, one food challenge has prevailed: the sardine diet.
The sardine diet is exactly what it sounds like. Proponents eat sardines, and only sardines, for several days, weeks or months. It was Annette Bosworth, also known as Dr. Boz, who claimed that the diet can help “boost metabolism and put you into advanced ketosis.” Bosworth’s medical license was revoked in 2015.
The sardine diet falls under the umbrella of the keto diet. Keto diets, which are high in fat and very low in carbohydrates, have grown in popularity in recent years, mainly for weight loss reasons. The aim, as Bosworth says, is to get your body into “ketosis.” In this metabolic state, your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose (which comes from carbohydrates).
Many experts have warned against the original version of the keto diet, which allows foods such as seafood, high-fat meat, high-fat dairy, low-carb vegetables, and eggs. Earlier this year, research suggested that long-term dieting could lead to kidney and heart damage.
Now, despite what Bosworth says, some dietitians are warning people away from the sardine-only version of the keto diet as well.
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Are sardines good for you?
Sardines contain important nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin D, B vitamins, and minerals, such as calcium and selenium. However, many experts warn against consuming them in excessive amounts, in part because of their potential mercury content.
Mercury enters marine ecosystems through plankton (and other similar organisms), which absorb a toxic form of the metal called methylmercury through the water. This methylmercury accumulates not only in the plankton but also in the fish that eat the plankton. And in the fish that eats the fish that eats the plankton.
This ultimately means that humans also consume mercury through the seafood in our diets. In high doses, mercury can lead to poisoning, which can damage the nervous system, kidneys and immune system, and can increase the risk of heart disease.
Even those who eat sardines for their nutritional benefits, like Jenny Shea Rawn, RD, say that eating too much can lead to mercury poisoning.
“Eating [sardines] often—as in more than four times a week—may be a concern, as you may be exposed to too much [mercury],” she said Eating well. “It’s always best to choose a variety of different types of seafood (and foods, in general) throughout your week to ensure you’re getting a range of nutrients.”
Health Line also warned that canned sardines tend to be high in salts, as well as a substance called purines, which may increase uric acid levels. People suffering from kidney stones or gout struggle to eliminate excess uric acid and should be careful about the amount of purines they eat or risk worsening symptoms.
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Is the TikTok sardine diet safe?
Since the sardine diet, or the sardine “challenge” as it is often called, asks people to eat nothing but sardines, after it may be putting people at risk of mercury poisoning. But it can also lead to other nutritional deficiencies.
Sardines, for example, have no fiber at all. This nutrient is critical to supporting and maintaining overall digestive health, and without it, people may suffer from bowel-related issues, including constipation. But fiber also benefits gut health.
“Fiber is important for keeping us regular as most of us know, but it’s also the foundation for a healthy gut,” Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN, and author The Fiber Effectsaid VegNews. “A healthy gut results in less acute and chronic inflammation, both in the gut and throughout the body.”
The sardine diet isn’t the only food trend associated with TikTok. In fact, earlier this year, one survey by MyFitnessPal and Dublin City University suggested that only two percent of the diet and nutrition trends on the app are actually accurate. Despite this, the survey also revealed that more than half of young people on TikTok reported being influenced by viral food trends and nutrition advice.
“Nutrition misinformation can be dangerous if followed without guidance from a person’s health care provider and RDN nutrition expertise,” said Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND. Health Line.
“Many people are on medication and have chronic medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure that require them to follow a specific diet to meet their nutritional needs. Also, extreme dieting and the promotion of elimination diets often promoted through social media can contribute to disordered eating and malnutrition, especially among young adults.”
Always consult your healthcare provider before making any major dietary changes. And if you need advice from social media, Blake recommends seeking out experts on the app with the appropriate credentials. The letters RD, for example, stand for registered dietitian, and RDN stands for registered dietitian nutritionist – both indicate that a person has received special training in diet, food and nutrition.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on the south coast of England.
