Internal Shower

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About

Internal Shower refers to a drink made up of chia seeds, water and a squeeze of lemon that purportedly encourages bowel movements, aiding against constipation, working as a "gut detox" and helping you lose weight. The mixture became popularized in May 2022 by celebrity doctor Dr. Daryl Gioffre. In June 2022, TikTokers began posting videos of themselves making and trying the drink to determine whether or not it works. According to one doctor, the fiber in the chia seeds is likely what makes the drink work. Its use as a detox after a night of drinking or eating poorly and as a "hormonal cleanse" has been criticized as unhealthy.

Origin

On May 18th, 2022, Dr. Daryl Gioffre, a board-certified chiropractor, author of "Get Off Your Sugar: Burn the Fat, Crush Your Cravings, and Go From Stress Eating to Strength Eating," and the founder of the Gioffre Wellness Center,^[1] appeared on The Skinny Confidential podcast on YouTube.^[2] Around the 16:20 mark, Gioffre offers a recipe for a "constipation reliever" and gut detox drink consisting of six ounces of water, two tablespoons of chia seeds and a slice of organic lemon juice. He says you have to let the chia seeds sit for five minutes, then mix and drink, describing the effects as an "internal shower," saying, "it's like an internal shower, it goes into all those nooks and crannies of the guts and it's just gonna give you that internal washing but it's not like, 'oh my god I gotta run to the bathroom.' It's like a natural elimination."

Spread

In June, TikTokers began posting videos testing the drink, some finding it worked. On June 2nd, TikToker^[3]^[4] @kellybaums posted a video trying the drink, gaining over 2.5 million views in a week (shown below, left). The next day she posted an update revealing it worked, although she used too many chia seeds (shown below, right).

On June 6th, TikToker^[5]^[6] @happystronghealthy.rd, a dietician, posted a review of the drink, saying it works but not to fall for the believe that "pooping = weight loss," saying increasing fiber intake in general will help with bowel movements (shown below, left). The next day she posted a follow-up video saying she has a problem with the videos that advertise it as a detox, "post-weekend drinking" cleanse or "hormonal cleanse," calling those claims "fucking bullshit."

On June 8th, Health.com^[7] published an article where they speak to a doctor about the trend, who suggests it's the fiber in the chia seeds that promotes bowel movements. On the same day, the New York Post^[8] published an article about the trend, highlighting @happystronghealthy.rd's videos warning against using the drinks as a detox.