What the Hell Is Cutting Jelly and Why Is Kylie Jenner Getting Dragged for It?
A few seconds of video was all it took. Kylie Jenner snacking on TikTok, held up a slim packet of translucent red gel and told her millions of followers it was her “new favorite.” She called the product “cutting jelly.” Within hours, backlash followed with accusations that the celeb was hawking irresponsible wellness. And whether you want to consume it or you want to stay away—is this another weight loss drug?—we are as curious as you: What is cutting jelly?
We’re not going to lie. Before this week, most of us had never heard of cutting jelly. Now? We’re going down a rabbit hole. So let’s ignore the celebrity angle for a second and talk about the FOODOLOGY Coleology Cutting Stick Jelly that Jenner was eating. Strip away the discourse. Let’s get into it.
What Is Cutting Jelly, Really?
Despite the name, cutting jelly is not a dessert. It’s a gel-based supplement, usually sold in single-serve stick packs, and it’s been popular in South Korea for years. The “cutting” part refers to cutting calories or carbs, not cutting the jelly with a knife like some deranged cooking TikTok.
Most versions are made with water, fiber, fruit flavoring, and plant-based thickeners. It looks very much like the gelatin you’d eat as a kid, but please keep these away from the littles. Some cutting jellies on the market might even include buzzy ingredients like garcinia cambogia or green tea extract.
Cutting jelly eaters squeeze it into their mouths, swallow, and that’s it. No chewing. And perhaps no joy? We repeat, it’s NOT dessert.
The pitch is that it helps with digestion and bloating. At least that’s what Jenner said on her TikTok. But lets’ be real, the aim is to suppress one’s appetite, say, like a GLP-1? Like fiber, it makes you feel fuller for a bit and maybe helps you poop. Score?
And since the internet loves a catchy nickname, cutting jelly has been dubbed “Korean Ozempic,” but is it that? Sources say it’s wildly inaccurate. Ozempic is a prescription drug that alters hormones tied to appetite and blood sugar, after all. Cutting jelly is seemingly fruit-flavored fiber in gel form. Jenner likes the pomegranate flavor.
If people feel lighter or eat less after taking it, that’s not one’s fat magically disappearing. It’s just fullness and water weight doing their thing. There’s no solid science showing cutting jelly causes meaningful weight loss on its own, and anyone claiming otherwise is selling something.
So why are people mad?
Because trolls are always mad. And there’s a big divide between people who are pro and against celebrities and non-celebrities alike using GLP-1s to slim down. So even if cutting jelly itself isn’t dangerous (and we don’t know with certainty that it is or isn’t), the messaging matters. A gel that quietly implies you should suppress hunger to look snatched isn’t exactly neutral. (Not that Jenner said that.)
Are There Other Cutting Jellies?
Yes. Tons. Korean beauty retailers have been selling diet and digestion jellies for years, alongside collagen jellies, vitamin gels, and probiotic shots. Some newer versions downplay weight loss entirely and market themselves as low-calorie snacks or fiber boosts, which is… honestly more honest.
There are also now some American brands selling similar products as “konjac jellies” or “digestive gels.”
Now whether you consume it or not, we must tell you, it’s not magic. It’s just another viral weight loss thing a celebrity posted about. And maybe she’s endorsing it because they’re paying her or she’s an inventor. We don’t know. She tagged the brand in her post though. If you’re curious, fine. Just don’t confuse a trendy gel packet with a health breakthrough, or take nutrition advice from people whose job is being aspirational online.
Editor’s note: Cutting jellies aren’t regulated or studied the same way prescription medications are at the moment. And, there’s limited independent research on short-term and long-term effects of them. As with any supplement or wellness product, it’s best to talk with a medical professional before adding one to your routine, especially if you have underlying health conditions.
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