High street supplements won’t make your boobs any bigger, experts insisted today on the back of harmful claims sweeping social media.
TikToks from women raving about bee pollen’s supposed breast-enhancing benefits have racked up millions of views.
Users brag how their boobs have ‘never looked better’ after taking the £5 product, which can be crushed into smoothies, sprinkled on cereal or simply swallowed whole.
Sharing before and after photos detailing their transformations, others have claimed they can ‘testify’ the supplement ‘definitely works’.
But the claims currently doing the rounds on TikTok and beyond were today called out as ‘pathetic, harmful and dishonest’ by experts to MailOnline. Other warned it may even be unsafe.
Sharing before and after photos, model Elly Bear showed TikTok a photo of her wearing a bikini top before starting to take bee pollen. In a second clip during the same video, she is wearing the same swimsuit top two weeks into her trial
In one video watched 1.3million times, influencer Ivey Cross, claimed adding bee pollen in her drinks had contributed to breast growth. ‘It dawned on me that I have been using this consistently for like, two or three weeks,’ she told her 42,500 followers. ‘Two nights ago, I went to put on my Skims bra, and I always keep it at the same adjustment, and I was like, “oh, my gosh, this is kind of tight”, so, I had to loosen it up a little bit.’ She added: ‘I’ve been eating so much bee pollen. So I’ve just made another bee pollen smoothie for the girls’
Bee pollen boasts an impressive nutritional profile, including fibre, essential amino acids, vitamin C, copper and iron. Advocates say the animal product has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, helping to stop the growth of microorganisms including bacteria and relieve stress. But the claims currently doing the rounds on TikTok and beyond were today called out as nonsense by experts. Other warned it may even be unsafe
Bee pollen does boast an impressive nutritional profile, as it is high in vitamin C, calcium and iron.
Research has shown the animal product is also rich in phytoestrogens — oestrogen-like compounds derived from plants, that mimic the actions of the body’s hormone.
But other sources high in the substance also include cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts, meaning they would supposedly offer the same effect.
Grains including oats, rice, barley and quinoa and seeds and nuts like flaxseed or almonds are also rich in phytoestrogens.
Deanne Jade, principal of the National Centre for Eating Disorders, told MailOnline: ‘This trend is pathetic and harmful and dishonest, what more can we say.’
She added: ‘The concerns we have are for people who believe this.’
Meanwhile, Dr Sheryl Ross, an obstetrician gynecologist from California and author of She-ology, a guide to women’s intimate health, asserted there was no scientific evidence to support the claims bee pollen increases breast size.
Speaking to Yahoo Life, she said breast size was ‘ultimately determined by hormonal influences during puberty, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause,’ and can be influenced by ‘genetics, exercise, age and weight’.
The animal product also falls under the category of a supplement — as it is not registered as having a medicinal use.
It has neither been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) — which polices the safety of medicines in the UK — or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which carries out the same function in the US.
Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at the eating disorder charity Beat, told MailOnline: ‘People affected by eating disorders often struggle with negative body image and may turn to medication or supplements to change their appearance.
‘However, they are often unregulated and can be very dangerous, so we’d advise anyone thinking about using them to speak to their GP or care team first.’
As well as being sold with promises of growing bigger breasts, TikTok users also claim bee pollen can boost fertility and improve mood.
Advocates of the supplement on the social media app recommend taking it daily by sprinkling it on food, such as porridge, smoothies and fruit.
In one video watched 1.3million times, influencer Ivey Cross, claimed adding bee pollen in her drinks had contributed to breast growth.
‘It dawned on me that I have been using this consistently for like, two or three weeks,’ she told her 42,500 followers.
‘Two nights ago, I went to put on my Skims bra, and I always keep it at the same adjustment, and I was like, “oh, my gosh, this is kind of tight”, so, I had to loosen it up a little bit.’
She added: ‘I’ve been eating so much bee pollen. So I’ve just made another bee pollen smoothie for the girls.’
Meanwhile, model Elly Bear told TikTok on her seven day update after taking the supplement daily, that her breasts ‘have never looked better’.
She added: ‘This is the largest they’ve ever been in my life.
‘They look so good. Not to be weird but I’ve never had that before in my life, never.’
Limited research has shown bee pollen to have some effects on female hormones.
One 2015 study involving just 46 patients found the animal product could alleviate hot flushes and ‘other menopausal symptoms’ including dizziness and abdominal pain in breast cancer patients.
Scientists from Ortenau Hospital in Offenburg, Germany claimed this was ‘likely’ due to phytoestrogen.
In another small trial involving 54 menopausal women in 2005, 65 per cent of volunteers experienced a reduction in hot flushes when taking bee pollen, compared with 38 per cent in the placebo group.
The scientists from the University Hospital of Copenhagen in Gentofte, Denmark, concluded the supplement ‘significantly reduces hot flushes and certain other menopausal symptoms when compared to placebo’.
In another viral TikTok video watched 193,000 times TikToker @thatgirlashbash who boasts over 102,000 followers, said ‘I think it’s working’. She added: ‘From the research that I’ve done, it can take up to a couple of months which completely makes sense and that’s probably what I’m aiming for. I highly recommend it’
Meanwhile, in a video watched 14.2million times, influencer Camila Elle said ‘I’ve been taking bee pollen for months now and I can testify that it does make your boobs grow bigger.’ Speaking to her 667,000 followers, she told the video: ‘I’ve been eating this almost every day. I just put a spoonful on top of my yoghurt, on top of smoothies, overnight oats. I just put it on everything. I had originally brought it because my immune system sucked and I always got sick.’ She added: ‘If anyone wanted a testimony, here it is’
However, there are no large clinical studies that support the use of bee pollen for breast growth.
Like many plant-based substances, studies on bee pollen’s medicinal value are limited.
In a video posted on the app, Dr Sermed Mezher, an NHS registrar in general practice, said: ‘All the reports of this working, have come from individual people’s stories which are prone to bias.’
The medic from London added: ‘That’s why studies in controlled environments would need to be done to prove this.
‘The truth is though, this is unlikely to do anything except making bees angry and potentially reducing your ability to naturally produce estrogen.’
Dr Karan Raj, a doctor who’s known for dispelling medical misconceptions on TikTok, responded to two videos on the app of people claiming that bee pollen had grown their boobs.
‘Supposedly, bee pollen is rich in phytoestrogens. These are naturally occurring plant chemicals which are meant to mimic oestrogen in the body,’ he said.
Breast tissue ‘is one of the most hormone-sensitive areas in the body’ and ‘can fluctuate in size due to various influences’, he added.
However, ‘there is no scientific evidence to suggest that bee pollen can increase the size of the biological airbags,’ he concluded.
In another viral TikTok video, watched 193,000 times, TikToker @thatgirlashbash who boasts over 102,000 followers, said: ‘I think it’s working’.
She added: ‘From the research that I’ve done, it can take up to a couple of months which completely makes sense and that’s probably what I’m aiming for. I highly recommend it.’
Advocates say the animal product has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, helping to stop the growth of microorganisms including bacteria and relieve stress.
Others promote its ability to lower cholesterol, improve metabolism and even increase sex drive, but limited research has only been conducted on animals.
Meanwhile, in a video watched 14.2million times, influencer Camila Elle said: ‘I’ve been taking bee pollen for months now and I can testify that it does make your boobs grow bigger.’
Speaking to her 667,000 followers, she told the video: ‘I’ve been eating this almost every day. I just put a spoonful on top of my yoghurt, on top of smoothies, overnight oats. I just put it on everything.
‘I had originally brought it because my immune system sucked and I always got sick.’
She added: ‘If anyone wanted a testimony, here it is.’
But experts warned that, as with any supplement, there are other potential risks to using bee pollen.
Bee pollen can cause new allergic reactions, Dr Mezher said.
Studies have also shown consumption could cause an allergic reaction in people with bee or honey allergies.
This could include feeling light-headed, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.
Websites advertising the product, including Holland & Barrett, Neal’s Yard Remedies and Bulk, also include warnings over avoiding bee pollen if people are allergic to bee stings, honey and bee products.
Testing for allergies should also always be carried out first, they advise.
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