Here's How TikTok's Jell-O Tea Sore Throat Cure Really Works

There's Jell-O, and then there's tea. The two aren't usually associated as a duo in any situation, but if you've been on TikTok lately, you might have come across the viral trend where the two become one in a sore throat cure that tons of TikTok users swear by. This isn't the first TikTok food hack to make its rounds on the Internet, though. Before this, there was this bizarre Flamin' Hot Cheetos hack, super-sweet whipped hot chocolate, and the beloved three-ingredient cloud bread, to name just a few trends.

When it comes to the Jell-O trend, TikTok user HowDoesShe was responsible for the initial video, which has accumulated over 37,000 views so far. Apparently, the concoction isn't as outlandish as it seems. The video's comments section is flooded with people claiming that their parents and grandparents have been using this tried-and-true Jell-O tea trick for decades to cure sore throats and help stop vomiting. "This was my grandma's go-to remedy!" one user commented. "I swear it cures everything!"

The tea's ingredients are pretty simple: Jell-O powder, honey, and water. The video shows HowDoesShe boiling two cups of water, adding Jell-O powder, pouring in two additional cups of cold water, whisking it all together, and adding honey (she notes not to refrigerate the mixture). After, she pours the concoction into a mug and microwaves it for 30 seconds. So, what makes this stuff so effective? 

HowDoesShe notes that the gelatin coats your throat to relieve soreness while the honey provides antimicrobial properties. Food Network turned to the experts to confirm or deny how legit the tea's healing properties really are. According to Dr. Soma Mandal, a board-certified internist at Summit Medical Group in New Jersey, "Jell-O is a great way to keep hydrated when you are ill with a viral infection or other illness ... [and honey] is often used in many lozenges as a cough suppressant and can help coat the throat, providing pain relief and reducing inflammation." The takeaway? Time to stock up on some Jell-O and honey — this tea is the real deal.