FOR some time now, certain internet users have been filming themselves dipping their food in seawater to enhance its taste. Mango, watermelon, burrata, bread, you name it... But this trend, spotted on TikTok and other social networks, presents dangers to your health. We explain.
Dipping your food in a sauce, why not? But dipping it in seawater is raising more than a few eyebrows. It's a trend that has been seen on TikTok since the start of the summer season. In a video posted by veronicareign, the young woman, comfortably seated in her inflatable buoy, dips her burrata in seawater before tucking in with gusto. And, unsurprisingly, commenters were quick to express their incomprehension at this unhygienic eating trend. Comments ranged from "I just don't understand for what tho" to "No there's a lot of dead things in that water ha."
And she's not the only one seasoning food with saltwater. In July, another woman was filmed on a boat soaking her frisella (a hard, kind of flat Italian bread made durum wheat bread) and mozzarella in seawater before eating them together, along with tomatoes. The author's video, which has since been deleted, made the rounds of the Italian media and was picked up by Richy.it. While sprinkling frisella is an Italian tradition, clearly this practice should not be carried out with seawater. In fact, many experts strongly advise against it.
Last year, after singer Rihanna was spotted dipping her mango in seawater, internet users were quick to copy the star. On TikTok, the hashtag "dipping a mango in the ocean" racked up 5 million views. Meanwhile one fan posted about the negative, painful experience he had after following the star's move on his X (formerly Twitter) account: "Tried this on vacation and it was the best digestive cleanse I've had in my life. Hospitalised for three days and needed an IV, but lost 15 lbs and released ever toxin in my body," he warned.
It's no secret that drinking seawater is very dangerous for your health. "When humans drink seawater, their cells are thus taking in water and salt. While humans can safely ingest small amounts of salt, the salt content in seawater is much higher than what can be processed by the human body," outlines the National Ocean Service.
In addition to the microscopic flora and fauna circulating in the waves, you risk swallowing all kinds of bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), responsible for intestinal disorders and gastroenteritis. There is also the presence of microplastics due to human pollution. – ETX Daily Up, August 8, 2023
