Lose weight with rice water? Experts warn about TikTok trend

1. Fulda Newspaper
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Status: 25.09.2024, 10:27 a.m.

From: Alina Schröder, Victoria Krumbeck

The “Ricezempic” trend on the TikTok platform promises rice water to help you lose weight. However, the supposed weight loss miracle cure is not without risk.

Munich – New trends on the topic of losing weight and health keep cropping up on social media, especially TikTok and Instagram. One of the latest trends is the so-called “Ricezempic”, a supposed miracle cure based on rice water. But what is really behind this hype? Experts classify the method.

Lose weight with rice water? Which three ingredients are supposed to make the pounds fall off

The name “Ricezempic” is a combination of the English word for rice, “rice,” and the brand name of the diabetes drug “Ozempic.” This drug is taken by some people for weight loss, although it carries risks. There have even been shortages of Ozempic, particularly in the United States, as the hype has made it difficult for diabetics to obtain the drug.

This phenomenon is called “off-label use,” the use of an approved drug to treat a disease for which it is not approved, writes Merkur.de.

“Ricezempic” consists of three ingredients:

The rice is soaked in water and lime juice for a short time. The resulting drink is then drunk every morning on an empty stomach. The idea behind it is that drinking the rice water creates a feeling of satiety, which means you eat less throughout the day and therefore lose weight.

“Ricezempic”: Experts explain weight loss trend on TikTok

According to TikTok users, the key ingredient in the drink is resistant starch. “Resistant starch makes you feel full, is mostly indigestible and thus behaves like fiber.” “Fiber-rich foods promote satiety and can be helpful for losing weight,” said Christina Holzapfel, a nutritionist at the University of Applied Sciences Fulda and the Technical University of Munich. Pharmacy Review.

This resistant starch is created when cooked rice cools and is probably also released when the rice is soaked in water. Studies have actually shown that resistant starch can influence weight. “It ‘programs’ the microbiome to be ‘slim’, so to speak. However, larger quantities are necessary for this; ten grams per day is sensible. “Studies even indicated 20 to 40 grams – but this often leads to intestinal problems,” explains Michaela Axt-Gadermann, Professor of Health Promotion at Coburg University of Applied Sciences Picture.

Contains half a cup of rice, but less than a gram of resistant starch. “In a study on weight loss, the subjects were given 40 grams of resistant starch every day and lost an average of 2.8 kilos in eight weeks. “To reach these amounts, you would have to drink 16 to 24 liters of rice water every day,” says Axt-Gadermann.

Rice water diet on TikTok – Arsenic is not a harmless byproduct

Another concern is that soaking or cooking rice introduces arsenic into the water. Rice naturally contains more inorganic arsenic than other grains. Although the amount of arsenic in a glass of rice water is small, long-term consumption can increase the risk of several diseases, including skin damage, heart disease, respiratory disease, and several types of cancer.

Axt-Gadermann’s recommendation is clear: “Throw it away and don’t drink it.” The expert emphasizes: “The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment therefore recommends washing the rice thoroughly before cooking, cooking it in plenty of water and definitely throwing away the cooking water and not drinking it.” In addition, Öko-Test has found harmful substances in many brands of rice.

Instead of rice water, it is recommended to eat foods rich in fiber or protein, such as vegetables, fruit, whole grain products and legumes. “A formula diet, such as protein shakes, could also be an option.” And if I eat natural yogurt with fruit and oatmeal for breakfast, I still feel full while consuming very few calories,” explains nutritionist Holzapfel. (vk/asc)