Social media has become the world’s most chaotic kitchen. Scroll through TikTok or Instagram for five minutes and you’ll find someone braising chicken in cold medicine, gulping down shots of olive oil, or swearing that raw milk cured their sinuses. Social media continues to be a main source of information for consumers, especially regarding food and nutrition, and exposure to food and nutrition content on these platforms jumped significantly to 54 percent in 2024, up from 42 percent in 2023. The problem? A 2024 survey by MyFitnessPal found that only 2.1% of nutrition information on a popular social media platform was accurate. These three trends went viral, millions tried them, and the reality turned out to be far less appetizing than the hype promised.
Trend 1: NyQuil Chicken – The Internet’s Most Dangerous Recipe
Videos appearing on TikTok promoted the trend of “NyQuil chicken,” also known as “sleepytime chicken” or “bedtime chicken,” a fad that initially appeared on Reddit several years ago before enjoying a popular resurgence. NyQuil chicken is exactly what it sounds like: chicken cooked in NyQuil cough syrup, with TikTok videos depicting people cooking chicken breasts on a stovetop and then adding NyQuil as a braising or stewing agent. The idea sounds absurd enough that plenty of curious viewers decided to try it. That curiosity came with real costs.
Since many of the TikTok NyQuil chicken videos involve the use of an entire bottle of NyQuil, large amounts can be absorbed into the chicken during cooking. The liquid alcohol in NyQuil may evaporate during the cooking process, leaving behind high concentrations of the active ingredients, which can lead to potentially life-threatening toxicity once the chicken is consumed. In September 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a consumer update warning about the dangers of this TikTok challenge, calling the trend “unappetizing” and “very unsafe.” Because the drugs used in NyQuil chicken affect the central nervous system, breathing can slow down, heart rhythm can become irregular, and coordination can drop sharply, and in severe cases this can lead to loss of consciousness or medical emergencies. The challenge, which originated in part from a 2017 Twitter joke, became the subject of a formal FDA warning about unhealthy cooking challenges on social media.
Trend 2: Raw Milk – A “Natural” Idea With Outbreak-Level Consequences
“One of the most prevalent and perhaps dangerous of all of the food trends to come out of this past year is the idea that drinking raw milk is better for us than drinking pasteurized milk,” as dietitian Maddie Pasquariello noted. Fueled by social media personalities and wellness influencers, the raw milk movement positioned unpasteurized dairy as a superior, more natural option. The data from public health agencies told a very different story. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 1998 through 2018, there were 202 outbreaks linked to drinking raw milk, causing 2,645 illnesses and 228 hospitalizations.
A Salmonella outbreak tied to raw milk across four states from fall 2023 to June 2024 sickened at least 165 people, primarily children, and the farm involved had previously been linked to eight outbreaks of E. coli, Listeria, and Campylobacter, all associated with raw milk and raw cream products. Since March 2024, an H5N1 outbreak has also affected more than 900 dairy herds across 16 states in the U.S., marking the first detection of the virus in cows, and it has been detected in raw milk and can infect individuals who consume it. Among the 171 cases identified in the major 2023–2024 Salmonella outbreak, 70% were among children and adolescents under the age of 18. That is the part the viral raw milk videos never mention.
Trend 3: Olive Oil Shots – When a Healthy Ingredient Gets Taken Too Far
2024 saw the emergence of taking shots of olive oil daily in the name of heart health. Influencers and celebrities filmed themselves downing a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil every morning, crediting it with everything from glowing skin to better digestion. The olive oil itself is genuinely healthy. The method, however, is where things started to unravel for many people who eagerly followed along. Influencers and celebrities touted the benefits of drinking a “shot” of olive oil daily, claiming that in addition to its well-documented cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits, shots of olive oil can also improve digestion and skin appearance.
There are 119 calories per tablespoon of olive oil, and a shot typically consists of three tablespoons, adding up to 357 extra daily calories. As registered dietitian nutritionist Mindy Haar notes, “no matter what type of fat they’re consuming, it all has the same calories.” Adding an olive oil shot to your normal diet without compensating elsewhere means those extra 300-plus daily calories could add up to over 2,000 additional calories per week, potentially leading to weight gain over time. Registered dietitian Arti Dhokia put it simply: “Extra virgin olive oil is brilliant for your health, offering many proven benefits – it can help reduce inflammation, is high in antioxidants, and has been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. However, taking an entire shot of olive oil in the morning isn’t necessary. If you want to incorporate it into your diet, a tablespoon a day is enough to start feeling the benefits over time.” As one dietitian further noted, “The claim that olive oil promotes weight loss or detoxification lacks robust scientific backing.”
