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UAE: Does viral 'rice-zempic' drink help lose weight? Doctors weigh in on trend

Influencers on Tiktok and other platforms have been soaking rice in water overnight and then drinking it with lime juice an hour or so before meals

A social media diet trend has seen hundreds of people trying to lose weight by drinking a juice made from water in which rice was soaked.

Influencers on Tiktok and other platforms have been soaking rice in water overnight and then drinking it with lime juice an hour or so before meals, claiming it helps to reduce weight almost as good as Ozempic, a diabetic and anti-obesity medication that has become popular in recent times.

However, experts say the trend is based on a "misconception" and is not a wonder drink. “While rice water may contain resistant starches, which can slow digestion and potentially increase feelings of fullness, it does not offer the comprehensive metabolic effects provided by medications like Ozempic,” said Dr Grace Fabrizia Graziani, Specialist Family Medicine at Aster Royal Clinic.

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“The medication works by activating receptors in the brain to enhance satiety, reducing appetite and food intake. It also slows gastric emptying, leading to prolonged fullness and better glucose regulation. Additionally, Ozempic improves insulin secretion and provides cardiovascular benefits, mechanisms that rice water, with its resistant starches, cannot replicate," she added.

Others like Dr Laura Holland, Nutritionist and Integrative Medicine Expert, agreed. “While the drink may temporarily suppress appetite, it doesn't appear to mimic the claimed metabolic effects of drugs like Ozempic,” she said. “So whilst drinking rice water may support some individuals' digestive health depending on their unique constitution, I wouldn’t recommend rice-zempic as a means to balancing weight over the long-term.”

Risks

According to them, there are some risks to consuming this drink called rice-zempic. “Rice-Zempic isn’t dangerous, but if there is acid reflux, the lime juice may also exacerbate it,” said Dr Dana Hamwi, Clinical Dietitian for Dr Dana Diet Centre and Dubai London Hospital. “There is another risk that people who consume large amounts of rice water could be consuming harmful levels of arsenic.”

She added that the drink has “zero scientific base” and that even if there was a successful loss of weight, it would be temporary and stop when its proponents stop drinking the juice.

Dr Grace said there were several issues with rice-zempic and other such trending diets. “Social media platforms like TikTok often give rise to diet trends that promise quick and easy weight loss, which can be appealing but are rarely substantiated by scientific evidence,” she said.

“These trends, including rice-zempic, tend to oversimplify complex metabolic processes and offer misleading shortcuts that can undermine long-term health. As a medical professional, I advise caution when considering any diet popularised on social media. Such diets are often not designed with individual health needs in mind and can result in inadequate nutrient intake, imbalanced diets, and potential harm.”

Alternatives

Dr Laura said that she has explored whether the trend had any roots in alternative medicines like Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda. “In TCM, rice water is sometimes used for digestive health, particularly to soothe the stomach and aid digestion,” she said. “In Ayurveda, rice water is known as 'kanji' and is often used as a light, easily digestible food, particularly for people recovering from illness or those with weak digestion.”

She said that while these traditional uses of rice water are based on its perceived benefits for digestion and overall health, they are “not intended for weight loss” and don't make claims like the rice-zempic trend.

Dr Dana added that such fad diets could cause eating disorders. “My best advice is to change eating habits into healthy once’s and living a healthy lifestyle by having a low-calorie, high-nutrient diet with high protein and low carbs, and to combine that with exercise.”

Dr Grace said adopting the whole plant-based diet was a tried and tested way to lose weight. “A whole plant-based diet focuses on consuming predominantly plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds,” she said. “While it emphasises these plant foods, it does not necessarily exclude all animal products entirely. By prioritising nutrient-rich plant foods and minimising animal products, this diet helps create a caloric deficit necessary for weight loss while ensuring you get essential nutrients.”

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