Move over, belly tea — health influencers are clamoring for a new technique they say can banish bloating, boost digestion and even promote weight loss.
A growing number of TikTok users are obsessed with belly button tugging videos, in which health and beauty gurus massage a few drops of castor oil onto their belly button and surrounding abdomen. The hashtag #naveloiling has already amassed 23 million views and counting.
But you might want to think twice before buying castor oil; Medical experts argue that many of the wild health claims flooding your food are not backed by science.
Interest in navel tucking began growing on TikTok in 2023 and reached a fever pitch in June after aesthetic nurse Miranda Wilson took to the video-sharing platform to tout her excellent results, racking up 6.4 million views in the process.
“POV: You’ve started doing castor oil belly pull to help with digestion and your stomach has never been so flat,” she said in the 10-second video, holding up her shirt to show off her stomach.
Like any health fad, belly button pulling has divided the internet considerably. There are nearly 1,500 comments on Wilson’s video alone, with some users claiming the technique eased their menstrual cramps, indigestion and insomnia, while also helping their hair and nails grow. Others complained that it left them with sticky skin and stained clothes – for no benefit.
New trend, ancient practice
While social media has put the spotlight on belly button pulling, the technique is actually rooted in an ancient medical system in India called Ayurveda.
Within holistic practice, there’s believed to be something in the navel called the “Pechoti Gland” that allows you to absorb substances into your body, Melinda Ring, director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University, told Women’s Health.