The 8 most viral TikTok health moments of 2025
TikTokers made ice cream out of snow, sought hacks to improve their sleep, became enraptured with Olympic athletes and ate plenty of cucumber salads.
Over the past few years, healthcare marketers have paid significant attention to TikTok for a reason.
In addition to being a source for inspiration, the social media platform has a sizable sway over cultural trends and people’s attention. (This will soon be the subject of a Supreme Court case examining the constitutionality of a bill seeking to ban the app in the U.S.)
Throughout 2024, the platform produced a number of fascinating health and wellness trends this year — beyond the most famous “very demure, very mindful” meme.
Some revolved around weight loss and “nature’s Ozempic” hacks that fostered medical misinformation, while others centered on improving sleep and body positivity.
Several of the most memorable TikTok health moments have had a larger cultural impact — as well as marketing staying power.
Here’s a breakdown of the most viral health trends seen on TikTok in 2024.
1. Snowcream
The year started out with actress Reese Witherspoon going viral on the platform for making ice cream out of snow — spurring a trend dubbed “snowcream.”
In the early cold weeks of 2024, TikTokers racked up millions of views by making videos showcasing the homemade snowcream process.
First, they scoop snow from their backyards into a bowl — then they bring it inside and mix it with vanilla, condensed milk, chocolate syrup and anything else they want to add.
However, the trend sparked some controversy when commenters began questioning Witherspoon if eating snow was safe.
“There’s so many people on here saying snow is dirty, so we went and took snow from the backyard, we microwaved it and it’s clear,” Witherspoon explains in one video. “Is this bad? Am I not supposed to eat snow?”
Snow cream coming in hot. #snowicecream #snowcreamrecipes #snowday #snow #recipes
♬ original sound – Zach Bryan Archive
Health and environmental experts responded to the snowcream craze, noting that snow can lock in pollutants from the air as it falls to the ground. In addition, snow closest to the ground can be in contact with animal droppings, chemicals and rock salt.
The takeaway? You probably shouldn’t eat snow. But if you really want to, experts suggest waiting several hours into a snowfall and scooping the topmost layer to minimize the number of pollutants and dirt.
2. ‘Mystery virus’
At the start of 2024, rumors proliferated about a “mystery virus,” creating a collective sense of paranoia on the platform reminiscent of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
TikTok videos in which people claimed they were sick from an unknown virus — and that they were testing negative for flu and COVID — became popular in the first few months of the year.
this is insaannneee 😵💫😵💫 #unitedstates #sick #virus #fyp #fypシ #fypage #fypシ゚viral #foryou #foryoupage #viralvideo #viraltiktok
♬ original sound – ðð„ð’ð‡ð€ ᥫ᭡
For all of the trend’s speculation, however, it also brought out the growing number of physician influencers to address the misinformation — a sign that medical experts are increasingly using the platform to communicate with the public.
One physician creator, an allergist named Dr. Zachary Rubin, took to the platform to explain that the “mystery virus” was probably not much of a mystery — COVID-19 was still circulating in high amounts and at-home tests may not always be accurate.
Plus, he pointed out there are any number of known illnesses that could be spreading, from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to whooping cough and enterovirus.
3. Sleepmaxxing
If there’s one thing this year made certain, it’s that TikTokers are struggling to sleep.
Whether it’s from stress, poor sleep hygiene or an underlying medical condition, users on the platform have become vocal about their insomnia.
This gave rise to the “sleepmaxxing” trend, where people build intricate sleep routines involving lists of supplements, ideal room temperature adjustments and sleep-improving products.
Some swear by red light glasses and red light therapy machines as fixing their circadian rhythm, while others tout eye masks, magnesium, sleep trackers, white noise machines and mouth tape.
How to start sleepmaxxing to improve your recovery and have higher energy levels during the day #sleepmaxxing #sleeptips #sleeproutine #sleephacks #circadianrhythm #sleephealth #sleepscience #fyp #foryou #foryoupage
Experts noted that some of the sleepmaxxing tips — like exercising every day, getting a half hour of sunlight and maintaining a regular bedtime routine — can actually be helpful.
Yet a slew of products that have no scientific evidence could be a waste of money — and in some cases, even exacerbate anxiety and insomnia.
“[T]aking care of one’s sleep health is never a negative, but doing so with inadequate knowledge may be potentially harmful,” researchers noted in a 2023 study published in Nature and Science of Sleep.
4. Ballet body
As more people used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, cultural trends gravitated to the so-called “Ozempic body” and a re-emergence of being skinny as the ideal beauty standard.
In tandem with the rise of GLP-1s, plastic surgeons have reported an increase in demand for the “ballet body” — a thin, lean body type defined by low body mass index (BMI).
On TikTok, plastic surgeon influencers noted that requests for procedures like “ballerina arms” had surged in popularity. Ballerina influencers posted their daily meals to show how they maintain an incredibly low BMI.
What i eat in a day when i want to lose some weight #ballet #diet #ballerina #bolshoitheatre
Still, some people called out the trend as being unhealthy and even harmful for people who struggle with eating disorders, negative body image or mental health issues.
“The average BMI of a professional ballerina is below normal — 18 or below,” noted plastic surgeon influencer Dr. Marissa Tenenbaum in one video. “That is unattainable for most people, and also should not be held up as some type of ideal… It shouldn’t be the body type we are promoting.”
5. 2024 Summer Olympics
Not all TikTok trends were unhealthy and sources of misinformation, however. Others had a more positive message — and even helped inspire medical marketers.
Viral health moments dominated the Summer Olympics held in Paris and boosted interest in sports and, in particular, women’s sports.
According to TikTok’s year-in-review, there was a 350% rise in #SportsOnTikTok posts in 2024 compared to 2023.
Most notably, videos with the hashtag #WomenInSports saw a 2,400% increase.
U.S. Olympic Team rugby player Ilona Maher became TikTok-famous for her videos that promoted body-positive messages during the games, including a viral video in which Maher proclaims that “all body types can be Olympians.”
“All body types are beautiful and can do amazing things, so truly see yourself in these athletes and know you can do it too,” she says in the video.
When in paris
♬ original sound – Ilona Maher
TikTok also memed the heck out of “pommel horse guy” Stephen Noroscik, a beloved U.S. gymnast who helped shine a light on eye conditions strabismus and coloboma when he took off his glasses to help the U.S. men’s gymnastics team win a bronze medal.
One of the most viral moments from the ParisOlympics! After nailing his only apparatus in the team final, pommel horse hero Stephen Nedoroscik clinched the bronze, Team USA’s first men’s gymnastics team medal since 2008. 🫡🇺🇸 #teamusa #olympics #usa #gymnastics #gymtok #pommelhorse #pommel
original sound – NBC Olympics & Paralympics
Big Pharma brands — including Eli Lilly and Sanofi — already had a marketing presence during the Olympics, but the hype generated around the games helped inspire marketers to embrace sports marketing at a higher level moving forward, according to Gozde Dinc, director of strategic partnerships and innovation at Genentech.
Speaking on a sports marketing panel during Digital Pharma East in September, Dinc pointed to the emotional power of the Olympics and sports in general as something marketers can work with to connect with larger audiences.
“Sports is having a moment right now,” she noted, adding that it can grab people’s attention and invest their emotions in a unique way.
6. Cucumber craze
Over the summer, TikTok creator @logagm started making videos with a trademark opening line: “Sometimes, you need to eat an entire cucumber.”
His videos quickly became TikTok-famous, generating millions of likes and tens of thousands of comments as he chopped up cucumbers, threw them into a jar or plastic container and mixed them with a variety of spices, sauces, cheeses and toppings.
Another new cucumber recipe alert🚨
The recipes became so wildly popular that cucumbers catapulted to being a top discussion point on TikTok — including the health benefits of including them in your diet. Some TikTokers even proclaimed cucumbers “nature’s Ozempic.”
According to TikTok’s year-in-review, the cucumber salads also led to a shortage of the vegetables in grocery stores.
🥒 are way safer than 💉 and thats a fact 💯 eating so many cucumbers in the morning sets the tone for the rest of day for me…helps me eat less and doesnt make me feel stuffed or wanna eat more. Just sharing what personally has worked for me ðŸ’ðŸ»♀️ #cucumbers #cucumberdiet #caloriedeficitmeals #caloriedeficitsnacks #caloriedeficitweightloss
♬ I DONT WANNA BE A BIG BACK NO MORE – NateDaGreat Comedy
7. Tadpole water
Cucumbers weren’t the only “nature’s Ozempic” trending on TikTok in 2024. Something called “tadpole water” also made the rounds on the platform this year.
Tadpole water, consisting of chia seeds mixed with lemon juice and warm water, became a popular trend on TikTok as an easy weight loss hack.
However, experts cautioned people about relying solely on “tadpole water” to achieve weight loss.
tadpole water😋 #chiaseeds #chiawater #fypシ゚viral
Chia seeds — while they are packed with nutrients and are associated with certain health benefits like reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure — don’t necessarily lead to weight loss on their own, according to Healthline.
8. Sleepy girl mocktail
Finally, the “sleepy girl mocktail” was one of the most popular concoctions making the rounds on TikTok this year, with users claiming that the mix of tart cherry juice, seltzer and magnesium powder can help you fall asleep faster.
While many TikTokers swore by the drinks, medical experts on the platform noted that the sleepy girl mocktail won’t cure insomnia woes on its own.
Instead, they urged people to practice sleep hygiene and make behavioral changes to manage chronic insomnia.
Still, it won’t hurt to drink a bit of tart cherry juice and take magnesium before bed, they noted.
who has tried this?? #fypシ #sleepygirlmocktail #drink #marriage #mocktails