Does the "Hormone-Balancing" Carrot Salad From TikTok Really Work? We Asked an Ob-Gyn

Considering TikTok has already managed to convince people that balsamic vinegar and seltzer is a healthy alternative to Coke, and that you can make low-carb bread with just eggs, sugar, and cornstarch, it comes as no surprise that a raw-carrot salad is currently trending on the app. According to many who have shared the recipe, eating raw carrots every day is all you need to balance your hormones, and turning it into a salad is the best way to go about it.

If you're used to eating salads loaded with mix-ins, calling this recipe a salad probably seems like a bit of a reach. But what's actually more of a reach is the claim that it is powerful enough to affect your hormone levels, Shoma Datta-Thomas, MD, FACOG, tells POPSUGAR. "When it comes to balancing hormones, multiple factors need to be considered," the ob-gyn and Modern Age chief wellness officer explains. "It takes a combination of a consistent diet and lifestyle habits to truly address an imbalance."

If you do have a hormone imbalance, raw carrots are no substitute for medicine, says Dr. Datta-Thomas, a specialist in bioidentical hormone therapy. "The extreme of eating this salad two to three times per day and the TikTok viral recipe don't have medical evidence behind it, which would include randomized controlled trials," she stresses.

But despite the lack of research backing up the TikTok claims, which apparently originate from a recipe published by biologist Ray Peat, PhD, there are other advantages to eating more carrots. "In general, raw carrots do have the benefits of carotenoids, which are known to have great antioxidant effects, meaning they help repair or prevent the 'oxidative stress' or cell damage that can occur from inflammation, disease, or environmental exposures," Dr. Datta-Thomas points out. As for hormone health specifically, carrots only have a positive impact on it because they're high in fiber and having a healthy gut can reduce excess estrogen.

A true hormone imbalance requires consultation with a medical professional, Dr. Datta-Thomas says, but if you're just looking to incorporate more antioxidants and fiber into your diet, there's no harm in continuing to eat the TikTok salad. It's a pretty bare-bones salad, being that it only consists of one vegetable and a basic vinaigrette, but it's still a tasty way to consume carrots. Check out the simple recipe below (adapted from the most popular TikTok iterations of Dr. Peat's salad) to learn how to make it.