With the UK now in its fourth week of coronavirus lockdown, many bored Brits are turning to technology to try to keep themselves entertained.
One of the most popular apps amid the lockdown has been the video-sharing platform, TikTok.
While many videos posted on the platform are harmless fun, a dangerous new trend has starting circulating on TikTok this week.
The trend, dubbed the ‘Nutmeg Challenge’, sees teens guzzling nutmeg mixed with water in the hopes of ‘getting high.’
Hundreds of videos have been posted under the #NutmegChallenge hashtag, many showing teens attempting the challenge.
One user captioned their video ‘I hope I don’t die,’ while another wrote: “Doing the nutmeg challenge come back in six hours to see if I die or not.”
While nutmeg is usually used in cooking, studies have shown that it can cause a temporary high.
Healthline explained: “The chemical responsible for the ‘high’ caused by nutmeg is known as myristicin.
"Myristicin is a compound found naturally in the essential oils of certain plants, such as parsley, dill, and nutmeg.”
Short term effects of consuming high amounts of nutmeg include hallucinations, dizziness, confusion and drowsiness.
However, the ingredient can also cause more dangerous long-term complications.
Healthline said: “While nutmeg may seem like an easy way to experiment with getting high, myristicin is an incredibly potent and dangerous compound when taken in large amounts.
“In addition to the short-term effects of nutmeg intoxication, there are much more dangerous risks of consuming too much of this spice.
“In some cases, toxic doses of myristicin have caused organ failure.
"In other cases, nutmeg overdose has been linked to death when used in combination with other drugs.”
Mirror Online has contacted TikTok for comment.
