• TikTok’s new okra water health trend claims to help with blood sugar, gut health, and weight.
• Nutrition experts say the vegetable itself is chock-full of healthy nutrients.
• However, the health claims for okra water may be exaggerated.

You’re likely familiar with okra. The edible seed pods of the okra plant are used in a variety of dishes, including fried okra, okra chips, and gumbo.

Now, however, TikTok has come up with a new use for the vegetable: okra water.

“The trend involves soaking raw okra pods in water overnight, then drinking the infused water the next day,’ Angela Graham, MBA, RDN, owner of The Dispersed Dietitian, told Healthline.

She explained that TikTokers are promoting it as a natural remedy for blood sugar regulation, gut health, and even weight management.

But does the okra water trend live up to the hype?

Okra provides numerous health benefits

Okra is packed with nutrition.

Okra is an excellent source of vitamins K and C and provides a notable amount of folate, vitamin B6, manganese, and thiamin.

Okra is also very low in calories, at just 33 calories per cup. If it’s not prepared with any added oils, it’s also fat-free.

It additionally provides 3 grams of fiber. Graham says okra contains soluble fiber, which may help slow digestion and support stable blood sugar.

According to Graham, it also contains a gel-like substance called mucilage, which may act as a prebiotic, helping to support healthy gut bacteria.

Okra is rich in polyphenols, an antioxidant that may help protect heart health by lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation.

Does okra water have health benefits?

While okra has many health benefits, Graham said it’s unclear just how much of its nutrients actually transfer into the water.

Even though it’s nutritious as a food, those benefits won’t necessarily apply to what’s been absorbed by the water.

Graham said that because of this, she feels the health claims for okra are likely overstated.

“Eating whole okra would deliver far more fiber, nutrients, and health advantages than simply drinking water it was soaked in,” she said.

While drinking okra water may not be as effective as simply eating okra, there are still some potential benefits to be derived from this trend.

“Drinking water infused with fiber-rich vegetables may promote hydration and feelings of fullness,” said Graham, pointing to how fiber slows digestion and supports blood sugar balance.

Its ability to act as a prebiotic may also aid gut health.

Finally, it is low-cost and accessible, she said, noting that it’s low-risk to give it a try.

How to make okra water

If you’d like to try the okra water trend, Madison Reeder, a registered dietitian and director of clinical operations at ModifyHealth, said to place raw, sliced okra pods in water for 8 to 24 hours. Most versions call for around two to four pods per cup.

“During that time, some of the soluble fiber disperses into the liquid, creating a slightly viscous drink,” she said.

Reeder noted that bottled versions are also on the market, though their fiber content can vary depending on how they’re processed.

“People typically drink 8 ounces per day, often in the morning on an empty stomach,” she said, noting that the flavor is mild, earthy, and grassy with a slippery texture.

Since some may find the drink a bit off-putting, it is often advised to add lemon, lime, or honey to make it more palatable.

“It may appeal to people who already enjoy green juices or aloe-based drinks,” said Reeder.

Are there any drawbacks to drinking okra water?

Ro Huntriss, MSc, MRes, a registered dietitian and chief nutrition officer at Simple App, said that while okra has many health benefits, soaking it in water “isn’t a magic fix” and shouldn’t be relied upon to manage health conditions.

“[T]here’s little robust evidence to back the bigger health claims, and it shouldn’t replace medical advice or standard treatment for chronic conditions like diabetes,” she said.

Huntriss noted another potential con is the slimy texture, which some people might not enjoy.

Reeder said that some people may experience mild bloating or digestive changes when they increase their fiber intake too quickly.

“It’s best to start with a small amount and observe how your body responds,” she said. “Drinking it slowly, on an empty stomach, or separate from meals may help reduce discomfort.”

Reeder added that okra is high in oxalates, which she explained is a naturally occurring compound associated with kidney stone formation in those who are susceptible to them.

“This doesn’t make okra harmful for the average person,” she said, “but those with a history of kidney stones or on a low-oxalate diet should speak with a healthcare provider before making okra water a daily habit.”

Okra water has potential, but whole okra is best

Okra water is a low risk way to get more hydration, but the overall nutrient content is minimal. While it may not be the miracle tonic some TikTokers claim, it’s not without its perks.

For instance, the trend could help turn some people onto okra who might have otherwise avoided it. “It may encourage people to experiment with more whole plant foods, which is positive,” Huntriss said.

Staying hydrated and exploring new ways to engage with whole plant foods are good things — and if sipping on a cup of okra-infused water helps someone take a step toward better habits, that’s a win.

Just remember: Okra water is not a substitute for medication or a cure-all for health conditions.

The best way to enjoy the full spectrum of okra’s nutritional benefits is still the old-fashioned way — by eating it. Whether you like it grilled, roasted, or in a hearty gumbo, whole okra remains the star of the show.

So, if you’re curious, go ahead and try okra water — just remember to pair it with a balanced diet and realistic expectations.

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• Cardiologists are developing a method for measuring the heart’s “functional age” to help predict complications like heart disease.
• According to new research, unhealthy lifestyle habits could contribute to premature aging of the heart.
• Physical activity and eating heart-healthy foods are some of the best ways to preserve your heart’s functional age.

The concept of trying to understand heart health by determining its “age” relative to one’s chronological age has become a topic of interest among cardiologists, researchers, and physicians.

Assessing the heart’s functional age could offer a simple, clear way to understand its health status. It might also clarify existing cardiovascular risks that could be minimized by making heart-healthy lifestyle changes.

Recently, researchers from the University of East Anglia in England published the results of a trial introducing a novel way to measure a “functional heart age” using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, which could help detect signs of heart disease earlier.

The findings, which researchers describe as a “game-changer,” were published on May 2 in the European Heart Journal.

“In healthy people, we found that heart age was similar to chronological age. But for patients with things like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and atrial fibrillation — their functional heart age was significantly higher,” said lead researcher Pankaj Garg, MD, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School and a consultant cardiologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, in a press release.

“For example, a 50-year-old with high blood pressure might have a heart that works like it’s 55. People with health issues like diabetes or obesity often have hearts that are aging faster than they should — sometimes by decades,” Garg continued.

“So, this could help doctors step in early to stop heart disease in its tracks… Our new MRI method gives doctors a powerful tool to look inside the heart like never before and spot trouble early — before symptoms even start,” Garg said.

‘Functional heart age’ vs. biological age

Jayne Morgan, MD, a cardiologist with Hello Heart that chronological age may not always be consistent with biologic age. “The aging process is uneven throughout one’s life span,” she told Healthline.

Cheng-Han Chen, MD, medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, who was not involved in the study, noted there is not yet an agreed-upon definition of “heart age.”

“This research is a good first step towards evaluating whether an imaging-based assessment of ‘heart age’ can provide clinically useful prognostic information,” Chen told Healthline.

To better understand the heart’s functional age, researchers measured the amount of blood remaining in the heart’s left atrium after completing a contraction phase. They also examined the fraction of blood ejected from the left atrium with each heart contraction.

The method was validated using 366 heart patients with known cardiac risk factors.

Participants’ heart ages were older compared to healthy controls, and were significantly higher in people with conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and obesity.

“By knowing your heart’s true age, patients could get advice or treatments to slow down the aging process, potentially preventing heart attacks or strokes,” Garg said in the news release.

“It could also be the wake-up call people need to take better care of themselves — whether that’s eating healthier, exercising more, or following their doctor’s advice. It’s about giving people a fighting chance against heart disease,” he added.

Signs of heart aging

As people age, common heart changes may occur, even among healthy individuals with no prior history of heart problems.

For instance, the heart may begin to produce extra beats or occasionally skip a beat. This is not generally a problem unless it becomes persistent. If the heart is frequently racing or fluttering it may be a sign of arrhythmia.

In addition, the heart’s chambers — its ventricles and auricles — may grow larger with age. As their walls thicken, the amount of blood they can hold decreases.

The risk of arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib), increases, with the accompanying risk of stroke, particularly among older adults.

Similarly, the valves controlling the flow of blood as it passes between the heart’s chambers may thicken and become stiffer, limiting the flow of blood.

Heart valves may also develop leaks, which could lead to fluid buildup in the lungs, feet, abdomen, or legs.

What causes premature heart aging?

As indicated by the new study, people with certain health conditions may have a higher risk of premature heart aging.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), four common factors that may lead to premature heart aging include:

• High blood pressure (hypertension) — With higher blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. This can cause the lower left ventricle, the lower left chamber, to thicken and enlarge, increasing the likelihood of heart attacks and heart failure.
• Diabetes — Research has found that having high blood sugar can damage blood vessels in the heart, leading to a buildup of fatty deposits there. It is associated with a greater likelihood of heart disease.
• High LDL cholesterol — This causes a plaque buildup of a waxy, fat-like substance in arteries that can decrease blood flow to the heart, as well as the brain, kidneys, and other parts of the body.
• Obesity — Obesity has been associated with both hypertension and high LDL cholesterol levels.

How to keep your heart young

There are currently no universal measurements for determining heart age, but the Australia Heart Foundation’s online Heart Age Calculator can provide you with a quick estimate.

“We are still in the early stages of understanding how best to determine a ‘heart age’ and how such a calculation could help us to better take care of patients,” Chen noted.

To preserve heart health and its functional age, following the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 is a great place to start. Here’s a closer look at how lifestyle factors influence heart health.

Exercise regularly

There is widespread consensus that 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise combined with strength training two days a week is the optimal amount for optimal heart health.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle has been consistently linked with an increased risk of heart disease and related deaths.

“A sedentary lifestyle causes circulation to slow. The heart muscle weakens, and leads to weight gain, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance,” Christopher Berg, MD, board certified cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, explained to Healthline. Berg wasn’t involved in the study.

“Sitting for extended periods of time also promotes inflammation and poor arterial function, and as a result raises your risk of heart disease,” he said. “Even those who exercise can be at risk if they are sedentary for most of the day.”

Beyond exercise, there are ways to enjoyably add more movement to one’s day, including:

• taking walks
• standing up and briefly getting away from one’s desk
• doing yoga
• parking a longer distance from the door
• dancing
• engaging in any sport
• taking the stairs instead of the elevator when going up or down just a few floors
• gardening and doing housework

Eat a healthy, balanced diet

Build meals from healthy, unprocessed foods as much as possible, with an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, beans, and nuts.

For protein, emphasize lean animal proteins. These include skinned poultry, fish, seafood, and low-fat dairy. Alternately, go with plant-based proteins such as beans, nuts, and lentils, tofu (soy), or seitan (wheat gluten).

Prepare your healthy ingredients with plant-based oils. These include extra-virgin as olive oil and avocado oil.

Try to avoid fast foods, processed meats, and other ultra-processed foods that tend to be high in trans fats that can damage the heart.

Of course, be sure to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Coffee and tea without sweeteners are preferable to their sweetened counterparts.

Avoid or quit smoking

Smoking tobacco increases the risk of heart attacks and atherosclerosis in several ways.

Nicotine increases blood pressure, and carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen a person’s blood can carry. Smoking can also damage blood and heart vessels.

Health experts recommend avoiding smoking and quitting if you smoke.

Avoid or limit alcohol

Alcohol use has been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke.

Current recommendations for moderate drinking consumption call for no more than one drink per day for females and two drinks per day for males.

For some people, it may be advisable to avoid alcohol altogether. A growing body of evidence has also linked moderate alcohol consumption to cancer risk.

Manage stress

Mental health and heart function are interconnected.

The AHA notes that depression, anxiety, and stress are linked to heart disease. Social isolation and loneliness are also associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. 

Prioritizing your mental health, therefore, should be part of your heart-healthy regimen.

Try to make time to engage with what makes you happy. Take a scenic drive, enjoy a hobby, or spend time with an animal or human companion.

Lastly, give yourself permission to laugh. Research suggests it’s good for your heart.

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• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recommended alternative treatment and prevention methods amid a growing measles outbreak in 22 U.S. jurisdictions
• Kennedy reversed his position on vaccines and recommended the measles shot but also supported the use of alternative treatments like vitamin A and cod liver oil.
• The CDC says vitamin A can help treat measles but reaffirms the importance of vaccination.
• Measles can cause vitamin A deficiency in some people, but experts say supplementation only eases that condition and doesn’t treat other symptoms.
• Most health experts agree the best way to prevent serious illness from measles is to be vaccinated.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine leadership has sparked concern amid rising measles cases in western Texas and other parts of the country.

Some of Kennedy’s proposed strategies for containing these outbreaks lean into pseudoscience and alternative treatment and prevention methods. The Health Secretary has attributed measles to poor diet and health.

As of April 4, the CDC reported 607 measles outbreaks in 22 U.S. jurisdictions. Around 72% of those cases were in people 19 and younger. Around 5% of the cases involve people known to be vaccinated. Around 12% of cases required hospitalization. Two deaths in unvaccinated children have been reported.

During a visit to western Texas on April 6, Kennedy reversed his position on vaccines and recommended the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to help prevent the spread of measles.

Kennedy recently described the outbreak in Texas as a “call to action,” suggesting that parents should consult with doctors about getting their children vaccinated, but fell short of recommending the shot. he has also said that vitamin A and substances high in vitamin A, such as cod liver oil, have shown “good results” in helping treat measles.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) touts vitamin A as a potential treatment for measles, the agency reasserts that “vaccination remains the best defense against measles infection.”

“Measles does not have a specific antiviral treatment. Supportive care, including vitamin A administration under the direction of a physician, may be appropriate,” a recent CDC advisory says.

Still, the vitamin A recommendation has some experts concerned, particularly as low vaccination rates drive the outbreaks. People with measles can develop vitamin A deficiency, but supplementing with vitamin A cannot prevent measles and does not reduce the disease’s more serious symptoms.

“Vitamin A alone cannot prevent measles. Prevention of measles requires vaccination,” said William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University.

Can vitamin A treat measles?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends vitamin A supplementation to help some people with measles.

Experts explain that measles can produce vitamin A deficiency and supplementation can help ease that condition.

“Vitamin A has an important role in supporting effective immune function,” Schaffner told Healthline.

“Careful supplementation of vitamin A is a recommended part of the treatment plan of children with measles, particularly those children who require hospitalization. Measles can deplete the body’s stores of vitamin A. Low vitamin A levels can predispose to more severe measles complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.”

Schaffner and other experts, however, are quick to point out the limitations of vitamin A therapy.

Fisher noted that not everyone who develops measles has vitamin A deficiency. She added that Vitamin A does not help ease other symptoms such as rashes, high fever, and cough.

“It’s important to understand when and how to use vitamin A in these circumstances,” she told Healthline.

“[Vitamin A] is something that a doctor can potentially give you if you have measles and are hospitalized, but it is not a treatment,” added Gina Posner, MD, a pediatrician at MemorialCare Medical Group in Fountain Valley, CA. “The treatment is only supportive. That is why prevention is so important.”

Experts also expressed concern that the CDC advisory may prompt parents to forgo vaccinations for their children, figuring they can give them vitamin A if they contract measles.

“I am very concerned [about this],” Posner told Healthline. “People are always looking for ‘natural’ alternatives when the reality is that the best form of prevention for measles is getting the vaccine.”

“I am concerned that some parents have elected to decline vaccination, instead giving their children vitamin A supplements,” added Schaffner. 

“This is a misunderstanding of the role of vitamin A. Further, chronic administration of vitamin A can lead to overdosing as the body can retain excess amounts of vitamin A, resulting in hypervitaminosis A, which causes nausea, vomiting, liver dysfunction, and other abnormalities.”

Anne Liu, a specialist in infectious diseases and a clinical associate professor in pediatric immunology and allergies at Stanford University in California, has a blunt message for parents.

“Parents and caregivers, please know that there is no effective treatment for measles, but there is a very effective way of preventing measles, which is measles vaccination in children deemed safe for vaccination by their pediatricians,” she told Healthline.

Fisher said the situation is similar to what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic when people didn’t get vaccinated because they were led to believe they could treat that contagious disease with certain unproven medications.

“What has proven to be helpful with measles is to get vaccinated,” she said.

Why ‘measles parties’ are a bad idea

Experts have expressed concerns from some Texas health officials about reports of people organizing “measles parties” to expose children to the disease so they can build immunity to it.

“This is unbelievably dangerous,” said Danelle Fisher, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. “They are playing roulette with their kids’ lives.”

Before the chickenpox vaccine was introduced in 1995, some parents organized “chickenpox parties” to expose children without the illness to other children who did have the disease. The idea was to allow children to contract chickenpox in a controlled environment and build immunity.

At the time, health officials recommended against these parties, noting that chickenpox can sometimes produce serious complications.

Now, health officials in Texas are finding it necessary to issue warnings to parents against hosting “measles parties” in an effort to expose children to that disease.

There haven’t been any reports of actual measles parties, but Texas officials say there has been “social media talk” about such gatherings.

“We can’t predict who is going to do poorly with measles, being hospitalized, potentially get pneumonia or encephalitis, or potentially pass away from this,” Ron Cook, DO, the chief health officer for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, said at a press conference. “It’s a foolish thing to go have measles parties.”

Experts who spoke with Healthline couldn’t agree more.

“Measles is very dangerous. Even if you don’t die of it, it can cause permanent disability. The risk of getting the vaccine is infinitely lower than getting the actual disease,” said Posner.

Liu also notes the potential long-term effects of measles.

“Aside from the risk of brain inflammation from an active infection, there are risks that stick with kids even after the infection has resolved,” she said. “Measles virus has a very scary ability to wipe out part of a child’s immune memory from prior infections. That effect leaves children who have recovered from measles with a hole in their immunity, and they are again vulnerable to a variety of other infections.”

Other experts point out the community-wide impact of spreading measles.

“Nothing could be more dangerous than to invite a scourge into your community,” said Fisher.

“I agree strongly with the warning against having ‘measles parties’ with the intention of exposing children to the measles virus. Measles and its complications can be very severe,” noted Schaffner. “If parties are held, they should be ‘measles vaccination parties.’”

What to know about measles

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world.

Up to 90% of people exposed to the virus will contract the disease. A person with measles can quickly spread the virus to more than 10 people.

In the United States, 285 measles cases were reported in 2024, the most in five years.

Before the measles vaccine became widely available in the mid-1950s, the disease caused more than 3 million illnesses per year in the U.S., with 48,000 hospitalizations and 500 deaths annually.

The CDC recommends that all children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, with the first dose given between 12 months and 15 months of age and the second dose between 4 years and 6 years of age.

The virus is transmitted through the air or by direct contact with a surface that has droplets that contain the virus. The virus can remain alive in the air or on surfaces for up to 2 hours.

Symptoms will usually appear within 14 days. Those symptoms include:

• widespread skin rash
• high fever
• cough
• sore throat

About 30% of measles cases lead to some form of complication, the most common being ear infections and diarrhea. Serious complications are rare, but they include:

• pneumonia
• encephalitis
• subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

Treatments for measles include administering a vaccine within 72 hours of exposure and a dose of immune proteins called immunoglobulin within 6 days of exposure.

Over-the-counter medications can also help ease symptoms. Drinking a lot of fluids and getting plenty of rest are also recommended.

• Wegovy (semaglutide) could offer a new option to treat severe liver disease based on new clinical trial evidence.
• The GLP-1 drug resolved liver inflammation in nearly two-thirds of participants, twice the rate seen with placebo.
• Semaglutide had a favorable safety profile, with serious adverse events occurring at the same rate as placebo.

Wegovy, a highly effective medication used to treat obesity, shows promise in treating a serious form of liver disease in a new clinical trial.

The trial, funded by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy (semaglutide), found the drug improved liver inflammation, scarring (fibrosis), and sometimes both in people with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The results were published on April 30 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

MASH is an advanced stage of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a condition formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. MASLD involves the buildup of fat in the liver, which can cause inflammation, liver cell injury, and fibrosis. 

About one-third of adults in the United States have MASLD. While not all cases lead to liver damage, about 5% of adults develop MASH, a more severe and potentially progressive form of the disease.

Untreated, MASH can lead to life threatening complications, including cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure, and liver cancer.

Currently, the only FDA-approved treatment for MASH in people with moderate to severe liver fibrosis is Rezdiffra (resmetirom), which received approval in March 2024. With few options available, the study authors note an urgent need for additional treatments.

Sun Kim, MD, an associate professor of Endocrinology at Stanford Medicine who wasn’t affiliated with the trial, echoed that assessment.

“Patients with diabetes are at high risk for MASLD, especially MASH and advanced fibrosis. Patients with advanced fibrosis are at higher risk for complications, including liver cancer and early death,” Kim told Healthline. “Thus, we need more treatment options.”

The authors also point out that Wegovy may provide added benefits by addressing the comorbidities commonly seen in people with MASH, such as cardiovascular disease and obesity, a cluster of conditions known as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome.

“It’s definitely exciting to have another therapeutic,” said Kim.

Liver inflammation resolved in two-thirds of participants

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is considered the gold standard in clinical research. The new study was part of an ongoing phase 3 clinical trial involving nearly 1,200 individuals.

The interim analysis for these findings included 800 participants, who were mostly white adults evenly split between males and females, with an average age of 56. The majority (72%) were classified as obese based on body mass index (BMI), and more than half were also living with type 2 diabetes.

After 72 weeks of treatment, nearly two-thirds of participants who received Wegovy showed resolution of liver inflammation (steatohepatitis) without any worsening of fibrosis, almost twice the rate seen in the placebo group.

In addition, 37% of Wegovy users saw a reduction in liver fibrosis without a worsening of MASH, compared to 22% in the placebo group.

A smaller subset — just under one-third — experienced both benefits: reduced fibrosis and resolved inflammation. That combined improvement was seen in only 16% of those receiving a placebo.

These results underscore the challenge of treating MASH. Inflammation and fibrosis are distinct disease processes, and a drug may improve one without affecting the other. As this trial shows, achieving both outcomes remains difficult.

While some participants did achieve both outcomes simultaneously, an ideal therapeutic goal, this combined outcome was less common than improvement in either condition alone.

That complexity helps explain why so few medications have received FDA approval for MASH. Targeting both aspects of the disease at once remains a significant challenge.

“There are over 20 drugs in phase 2 and 3. However, it is  difficult to reverse liver fibrosis. I describe fibrosis to patients as liver scarring due to inflammation associated with liver steatosis/fat. It’s easier to prevent the injury than to reverse the scar,” said Kim.

Wegovy also showed a favorable safety profile. By week 72, 88% of participants were able to maintain their target dose.

Overall, adverse events were slightly more common in the Wegovy group (86%) than in the placebo group (79%). However, both groups experienced the same rate of serious adverse events (13%).

The most common side effects in both groups were gastrointestinal. Participants taking Wegovy more frequently reported:

• nausea
• diarrhea
• constipation
• vomiting

Wegovy improved comorbid health conditions

The trial also revealed compelling secondary benefits, with improvements in key comorbidities, including:

• type 2 diabetes
• obesity
• cardiovascular risk markers

Most notably, people taking Wegovy lost significantly more weight than those receiving a placebo — an average of 10% of body weight compared to just 2%.

Wegovy was also linked to modest improvements in cardiovascular health, including slightly lower blood pressure, triglyceride levels, and cholesterol.

In addition, participants taking Wegovy — both with and without type 2 diabetes — saw improvements in hemoglobin A1C, a measure of long-term blood sugar regulation. This effect may not be surprising, as semaglutide is already FDA-approved for diabetes management under Novo Nordisk’s other brand name, Ozempic.

The authors note that semaglutide had a “holistic therapeutic approach to both liver disease and associated cardiometabolic illnesses.”

“These results lend further credence that semaglutide is the ‘Swiss army knife’ of medicine we have been looking for, to treat obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and now MASH,” Beverly Tchang, MD, an endocrinologist and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, not affiliated with the trial, told Healthline.

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• A new viral TikTok trend known as “fart walking” involves going for a stroll after eating to help release gas.
• Proponents say a fart walk helps promote digestive health, while regular fart walking could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by preventing blood sugar spikes.
• While the benefits of this health hack lack scientific evidence, research supports the benefits of movement, particularly after a meal.

The internet is awash as ever with dangerous fad diets and expensive health hacks, many of which lack science and pose potential risks.

While social media isn’t always the best place to pick up sound health advice, a new health craze on TikTok called “fart walking” is a refreshing change. The viral trend is sensible, safe, and effective — and doesn’t cost a thing.

If you’re raising a suspicious eyebrow, read on. When practiced regularly, fart walking can help support overall health. Here’s how.

What is fart walking?

Fart walking was first coined by Canadian cookbook author Mairlyn Smith in a video on TikTok.

Smith touts the healthy aging benefits of crop dusting after a meal. She also claims that fart walking can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, particularly among older individuals.

@mairlynthequeenoffibre

The #fartwalk lady is me. I’m mostly on instagram as Mairlyn Smith so I didn’t know i was that cool over here 😂 #fartwalk #fartwalker #farts #hearthealthy #guthealthy #diabetesawareness #agingwell #aging

♬ original sound – mairlynthequeenoffibre

The fart walking technique is simple: Go for a short stroll after eating to stimulate your bowels and release gas. That’s it.

So, why is the internet going wild over such a simple intervention? While unusual health tips often catch people’s attention, here are a few possible reasons for fart walking’s rise to fame:

• it has a catchy name that’s bound to make you chuckle
• it can genuinely support your health
• it’s low effort and free

How does a fart walk support health and digestion?

Although it sounds simple, experts agree a fart walk could help support digestive health. Regular fart walking could even reduce the risk of certain health conditions, including type 2 diabetes. 

While scientists have conducted precisely zero studies on fart walking, a vast body of literature supports the health benefits of regular exercise, even if it is relatively light.

Some research has noted that movement after a meal can be particularly beneficial for blood sugar management.

“The ‘fart walk’ might sound like a gimmick, but there’s solid digestive science behind it,” Alyssa Simpson, a registered dietitian in Phoenix, AZ, specializing in digestive health, told Healthline.

“Light walking after meals helps stimulate peristalsis,” she said. Peristalsis is the rhythmic contractions of the muscles that line the gut, which help move gas and solids through the digestive tract. 

“I tell my clients better out than in, and if walking helps you get there faster, it’s worth the stroll. So, while fart walking might be a silly name, there’s legitimate value in taking a short walk after eating and letting your body move that gas through more quickly,” Simpson added.

In agreement, Maddie Gallivan, a registered dietitian in the United Kingdom, told Healthline: “Any kind of gentle movement is great for getting things moving in the gut. Whether it’s going for a walk or doing some yoga, both have been shown to promote gastric motility.”

Gastric motility is the coordinated contractions of muscles in the stomach that help move food from the stomach into the intestines.

Gallivan explained that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) might experience particular benefits, including relief from symptoms such as constipation and bloating.

Going into a little more detail, Kenneth Brown, MD, a gastroenterologist in Plano, TX, and the host of the Gut Check Project podcast, explained how “walking promotes digestion by stimulating the muscles of your digestive tract, increasing blood flow to digestive organs, and reducing stress — all of which contribute to a more efficient digestive process.”

Can fartwalking help with heartburn?

For some people, fart walking could help minimize discomfort from heartburn after a meal.

“Walking increases muscle contraction in the stomach, which facilitates emptying of the stomach,” explained David D. Clarke, MD, who is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology and president of the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms, in Portland, OR.

“More rapid emptying will decrease the time that acid is present in the stomach,” continued Clarke, “which will reduce the time that acid has the potential to travel (reflux) into the esophagus and cause heartburn.”

But not everyone prone to heartburn may benefit from a fart walk, Clark cautioned.

“Some people with poor tone in the sphincter muscle at the junction of the esophagus and stomach might experience more acid reflux when stomach contractions are stimulated by walking,” he said.

Fart walking helps prevent blood sugar spikes

When you eat a meal that contains digestible carbs, the body quickly breaks them down into simple glucose molecules. Glucose then enters the blood and circulates around the body to be used as fuel or stored.

Having glucose in the blood is essential for life, but if there is too much or it hangs around too long after eating, it can start to cause damage to blood vessels. The fart walk can help manage these blood sugar spikes.

Walking uses the large muscles in of the legs and butt, and as they work, they take in glucose from the blood, naturally reducing blood sugar levels.

“There’s no denying that even just a short walk after a meal can help prevent sharp rises in blood sugar,” explained Gallivan. “It’s a simple but effective way to support your metabolic health.”

Along similar lines, Clarke told Healthline that as glucose moves into muscles during a walk, this also “reduces the need for insulin secretion by the pancreas.”

Beyond its impact on blood sugar, Clark said that walking can help you “avoid weight gain by burning calories. Theoretically, this should reduce the risk for future development of diabetes,” he said, noting there haven’t been any clinical trials on fart walking just yet. 

Still, one small study showed the benefits of a 30-minute walk after eating, which helped curb blood sugar spikes.

“And if you’re walking outside,” Gallivan continued, “that’s a double win — spending time in nature can improve your overall sense of well-being and help calm the nervous system, which is in constant communication with your gut. So, you’re supporting that gut-brain connection.”

How to get started with fart walking

This is not an exact science, but experts agree that some movement is better than no movement. The most important thing most people can do for their health is to get outside and walk.

To get started with fart walking, experts say to keep it simple.

“You do not need to walk for hours to feel better,” Brown told Healthline.

“A 15–30-minute walk at a comfortable pace is usually enough to help. Even a quick 10-minute stroll can make a difference,” he said. “The goal is to move gently and let your body relax, so your digestive system can do its job.”

“Aim for at least 4–5 minutes of light to moderate walking within 60–90 minutes of finishing a major meal,” suggested Clarke.

Clark also recommended incorporating 30–60 minutes of moderate-paced walking on most days of the week “for more sustained benefits for your gastrointestinal tract and the rest of your body.”

Are there any downsides to fart walking?

“For most people, fart walks are safe and helpful,” explained Brown, who outlined some points to keep in mind during your fart walking practice: 

• Initial discomfort: If you are in a lot of gas pain, walking might initially feel uncomfortable. Start slowly and listen to your body.
• Possible health issues: If gas and bloating keep happening, it might indicate something more serious, like IBS, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or a food intolerance. If this happens often, speak with your doctor.
• Privacy concerns: Passing gas during a walk might feel embarrassing if you are in public. Choosing a quiet or less crowded place to walk can help you feel more at ease. 

“If you are particularly gassy,” Brown continued, “I would recommend walking behind your friends,” which is a top tip for maintaining long-term friendships.

• Consuming more than 300 grams of poultry per week may lead to an increase in all-cause deaths and cancers, according to a new study.
• The findings contradict existing research and are being approached with caution by experts.
• Poultry is widely considered a healthier protein source and a cornerstone of healthy eating plans like the Mediterranean diet.
• Factors that could affect mortality rates and cancer incidence were not considered in the study, prompting calls for further investigation.

A surprising new study of people in southern Italy suggests that consuming excess poultry, widely considered a healthier animal protein source, may be associated with all-cause mortality and gastrointestinal cancers.

The study’s results largely conflict with previous research and conventional wisdom. Poultry is generally considered a healthy protein source and a mainstay of healthy-diet plans, including the well-regarded Mediterranean diet.

The United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), 2020–2025, recommends up to 26 ounces of protein foods, including lean meats, poultry, and eggs, per week, without specific limits on each.

The new research, however, suggests that consuming more than 300 grams (10.5 ounces) of poultry per week may be associated with a 27% increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to consuming 100 grams (3.5 ounces) per week or less.

The findings also suggest that eating more than 300 grams of poultry per week increased the overall risk of gastrointestinal cancers in the study population by 2.3%. Specifically for men, the observed risk increased to 2.6%.

For some time, consuming red and processed meats has been considered a risk factor for cancer, as described by the World Cancer Research Fund.

Little evidence indicates a similar association with poultry until this study, which appears in the journal Nutrients.

“This study is very thought-provoking,” said Nilesh L. Vora, MD, medical director of the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA. “Possibly for the first time, white meat consumption needs to be considered a potential risk factor for gastrointestinal cancer,” Vora, who was not involved in the study, told Healthline.

The study and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) consider poultry to include chicken, turkey, duck, geese, guineas, and game birds such as quail and pheasant.

Is chicken a healthy protein choice?

The study used data from survey responses from 4,869 middle-aged Italian individuals from Castellana Grotte and Putignano (Apulia, Italy).

Participants self-reported their consumption of red meat and white meat (poultry) based on their recollections of what they had been eating.

No information was captured regarding their physical activity levels, which may affect their mortality or cancer risk. This is an essential factor to consider and warrants further study.

Still, some experts expressed concern about the findings.

“I think the findings are quite astonishing given that we have a lot of evidence that the Mediterranean diet in particular is healthy and reduces the risk of getting cardiovascular disease and cancers,” said Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, surgical oncologist,chief of medicine, and director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, CA. Bilchik wasn’t involved in the study.

“This study is quite alarming to say the least,” he told Healthline. “I think that the study needs to certainly be looked at in more detail.”

“Poultry is generally considered a healthier protein option than red meat,” noted Michelle Routhenstein, MS, a registered dietitian specializing in heart disease who was not involved in the study.

“Poultry has lower saturated fat and produces less TMAO [a chemical produced by the gut], a compound linked to arterial stiffness and increased cancer risk. Further research is needed to confirm these results and explore the underlying mechanisms before revising dietary guidelines,” Routhenstein told Healthline.

Some forms of poultry unhealthier than others

The study’s authors note that various potential factors they have not accounted for need to be considered before the full implications of their findings can be understood.

The study “doesn’t establish causality,” cautioned Routhenstein.

“It is a large sample size, which is always important, but I’m looking [for] specifics as to other risk factors associated with poultry,” Bilchik noted.

For instance, the study did not capture the source of the poultry consumed. Pesticides are used in some geographic areas, potentially affecting the healthfulness of plant and animal crops.

Additionally, industrially raised poultry has its own risks. “The use of antibiotics and hormones in some poultry farming practices raises potential long-term health concerns,” Routhenstein said.

“Studies should also examine biological mechanisms of poultry consumption, such as the role of certain cooking methods, meat preparation, and dietary patterns (e.g., fiber intake),” she added.

Poultry’s cooking time and temperature may also influence its healthiness.

“It’s been hypothesized that the cooking of the poultry may result in the release of mutagenic or cancer-causing chemicals,” pointed out Bilchik.

He noted that although this is just a hypothesis, it is inarguably the case that there are many ways in which poultry is prepared, any of which may influence its final chemical composition.

Routhenstein said it’s known that “high-heat cooking methods, like grilling or frying, produce harmful compounds (HCAs and PAHs) linked to cancer.”

Finally, the study did not track the degree to which the poultry consumed was processed. Like other processed meats, processed poultry-based foods, such as deli turkey slices and chicken hot dogs, typically contain curing agents and other unhealthy additives.

Should you stop eating chicken?

Bilchik noted that consuming red meat with vegetables may mitigate some of the health hazards associated with it.

He suggested that it may not just be poultry that warrants a closer look. “We also need to explore other sources of protein, such as fish. [It] may be prepared in a similar way to poultry.”

“I think the study is very provocative given that we’ve moved toward poultry as being much healthier for us, and moved away from red meat,” Bilchik added.

Routhenstein recommended focusing on the overall quality of diet, including “portion size, what you are pairing poultry with, and avoiding overconsumption.”

A healthy portion size, Routhenstein said, is around 200 grams (7 ounces) per week of lean, unprocessed poultry.

It’s also a good idea to choose healthier cooking methods like baking, steaming, or roasting without excessive added fats, which can further minimize potential health risks, she concluded.