Women On TikTok Keep Saying This Supplement Made Their Breasts Larger. I Asked A Doctor Whether That Could Be True
Lately, TikTok has become a place filled with ~health and wellness hacks~, and it feels like a new one is popping up almost every day.
The latest hack that has flooded my For You Page is people taking bee pollen to *ahem* try to enhance their breast size. The trend has garnered millions of views on TikTok and has reportedly increased pollen sales by +344% in mere days.
Before I get into this trend, for some background: bee pollen is a ball or pellet made of flower pollen, nectar, enzymes, honey, wax, and bee secretions. Proponents say bee pollen can have potential health benefits including immune support and heart health — although research is still limited, and bee pollen and its alleged benefits are still undergoing studies.
Now, though, TikTokers are claiming that bee pollen can help with a very specific thing: enhancing the size and shape of your natural breasts.
To dig into this further, I reached out to Dr. Florence Comite, MD, and founder of the Comite Center for Precision Medicine & Health.
Dr. Comite prefaced things by saying that everyone's bodies are different. The breast enhancement that people on TikTok are claiming to notice can be from a variety of things — including hormonal birth control, pregnancy, and weight fluctuation. But contrary to what this trend is claiming, "There’s no scientific evidence that a specific type of food or supplement can increase breast size," she told BuzzFeed.
"Human beings have long been making claims about foods and herbs that seemingly increase [the size of body parts] — like breast size and penis size," Dr. Comite told BuzzFeed. But, as she explained, that's not how it works.
Dr. Comite said food will only make breasts bigger in conjunction with weight gain. "Weight gain can increase fatty tissue within the breast, resulting in enlargement," she continued.
Aside from the lack of evidence to support bee pollen having an impact on breast size, Dr. Comite said that unless you are buying your bee pollen from a local beekeeper, you have to be careful about other ingredients that your store-bought bee pollen may contain. "Store-bought bee pollen could be [contaminated] since dietary supplements aren’t regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration," she explained.
"In fact, about 10 years ago, the FDA issued a warning that certain bee pollen capsules being sold contained a substance known to significantly raise blood pressure and heart rate, which could be dangerous in certain people," Dr. Comite told BuzzFeed.
Still, some TikTokers are going as far as showing pictures of their breast size before and after consuming bee pollen. While the photos might seem visually different, Dr. Comite connects it to hormonal fluctuations related to one's menstrual cycle, breast size being a natural change due to a person’s age, or even just wishful thinking.
"Breast tissue begins to evolve in utero and then continues throughout a woman’s life. When the ovaries begin to secrete the hormone estrogen at puberty, fat collects in the connective tissue of the breast, and they begin to enlarge," she explained.
"Monthly cycles typically alter breast size and shape, related to hormonal fluctuations — such as estrogen and progesterone — from week to week," Dr. Comite explained.
Dr. Comite also explained other life events that can alter breast size, such as pregnancy. "After [nursing], the breasts may resume pre-pregnancy size and shape — but it's distinctly different in each woman," she said.
She also mentioned how menopause is another time in a woman's life when breast size and shape can change, too.
