TikTok has a new dieting craze: “Rice-zempic.” A play on words with Ozempic, the rice and water concoction is meant to mimic the effects of trending weight loss drugs. But some experts aren’t impressed.
“Medication kind of shuts off part of the appetite center in your brain — short term and long term, we don’t have any data that these resistant starches are going to help people lose weight, and definitely not a clinically meaningful amount of weight,” Dr. Nate Wood, director of culinary medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, told Good Morning America.
“Rice-zempic” is the product of soaking rice in hot water. The starch-heavy liquid is then flavored with a little lime juice. The drink is intended to curb appetites, leading to weight loss. Some social media users have claimed to lose up to 14 pounds in a single week by using it. But registered dietitian Scott Keatley told Health the practice has “zero scientific backing.”
“While rice water may have some nutritional benefits, such as providing a source of energy from its starch content, there is no evidence to suggest it has any properties that would significantly impact weight loss, especially in the manner that anti-diabetic medications like Ozempic do,” he said.
Drugs like Ozempic can curb appetites for long periods of time, but starchy water can’t keep hunger at bay for long.
“The starch expands in your stomach and can make you feel full — but it’s very short-lived,” Dr. Kunal Shah told Health. It’s “not really metabolically helping you at all.”
According to Wood, social media users interested in losing a few pounds and getting healthier should probably stick to what works and has scientific backing.
“If you want to maintain or lose weight, the key really is to eat a balanced diet of largely fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds (and) legumes, and to try to get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week,” he said.
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