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Kylie Jenner Faces Intense Criticism for Promoting Korean 'Cutting Jelly'
Reality television star and business mogul Kylie Jenner is confronting significant public backlash after promoting a viral Korean jelly product that some users claim reduces food cravings and suppresses appetite. The 28-year-old celebrity shared a TikTok video earlier this month featuring Foodology's Cutting Jelly, sparking widespread debate about the ethics of celebrity endorsements for dietary supplements.
The Controversial Product and Jenner's Promotion
Foodology's Cutting Jelly is a product originally developed in Korea that the company describes as "designed to support weight and body management as part of a balanced lifestyle." The product has recently expanded to the United States market, available through various online retailers including TikTok's shopping platform.
In her now-controversial TikTok video, Jenner displayed four packets of the pomegranate-flavored jelly containing chia seeds, enthusiastically calling them her "new favorite snack." She explained: "This is not a typical jelly. It's a cutting jelly for digestion, debloating." The reality star added, "My goal is to snack less for the new year," before consuming some of the jelly directly from the packet.
Mounting Criticism and Safety Concerns
The promotion has ignited fierce criticism across social media platforms, particularly on Reddit, where numerous users have condemned Jenner for endorsing what they describe as supplement products with laxative-like effects.
One concerned Reddit user commented: "It's so irresponsible for celebrities to advertise supplements and laxatives. There are so many impressionable kids and teens who will take this as gospel, and it may actually cause them serious harm." Another added: "How embarrassing for her," while a third remarked sarcastically: "She's still snacking, she's just eating jellified laxatives."
Further criticism highlighted the pressure created by online health and beauty trends, with one commenter emphasizing: "Guys, it is normal for your belly to be bigger after a meal. It is normal to feel full. It is normal for blood sugar to rise after eating. It is normal to have a belly, that's where your extra reproductive organs reside. THIS IS NORMAL, EXPECTED BODY RESPONSES."
Conflicting Claims About the Product's Effects
The Cutting Jelly contains substantial fiber and extract from Garcinia Cambogia, a tropical fruit frequently marketed for potential weight loss benefits according to health information sources. Some TikTok users have praised the product's effects, with one creator claiming it "blocks carbs from turning into fat" and eliminates "food noise" – the persistent feeling of hunger.
However, medical experts have challenged these assertions. Harvard professor of gastroenterology Chethan Ramprasad previously told GQ that the jelly doesn't effectively prevent carbohydrate absorption. "The short answer is, no, you cannot effectively block carbs," Ramprasad explained. "The idea behind carb-blockers is that certain plant extracts supposedly inhibit enzymes that break down carbohydrates, so you absorb fewer calories. In practice, the effect in humans is very minimal to non-existent."
The professor further clarified: "So, no—there isn't a supplement that actually prevents you from digesting carbs in a significant, reliable, or safe way. The 'carb-blocking' claim is more of a marketing hook than a physiologic reality."
The Independent has contacted a representative for Kylie Jenner seeking comment regarding the growing controversy surrounding her promotion of the Korean Cutting Jelly product.
