“Melt away belly fat!” “Lose weight really fast!” “Flush one pound of belly fat every day!” These are just a few of the enticing claims made concerning the”ice hack diet,” also known as the “ice hack diet” or “alpine ice diet” that are being circulated on TikTok -and accumulating millions of views.
The videos offer a brand-new “diet secret” involving a glass of ice and a spooky white powder. They also showcase before-and-after pictures of relatives that claimed to lose up to 60-80 pounds by using the secret — there’s no exercise or diet required. Users are encouraged to look up the site for more information quickly prior to the videos being removed to prevent “exposing the lies of the weight loss industry.”
Why is it that the ice-hack diet has been so well-liked, and what exactly is the premise to be the reason? The following is what nutrition experts think you need to know about the new weight loss trend.
What Is the Ice Hack Diet (aka Alpine Ice Diet)?
Clicking on the hyperlinks for the Ice Hack Diet in the hope of revealing a secret to the cubes found in their glass of water will likely be disappointed. Contrary to the title the diet hack doesn’t involve any ice it is a marketing campaign for a product called Alpilean which is made up of “six alpine nutrients clinically proven to promote healthy weight loss by raising the inner body temperature to speed up the metabolism,” according to the site of the manufacturer. The manufacturer offers a 30-day supply of the supplement for $59.
It claims a low temperatures within the body are a major cause of obesity. It also claims it is through “normalizing your internal body temperature,” obese people may lose weight. It is claimed that these supplements aid in this. The only mention of ice that appears in the company’s marketing materials is to consume the supplement along by drinking a glass of water every day to help dissolve excess fat “even when sleeping.”
In essence, the ice-hack diet is an ad for a product that is a gimmick, according to Tiffany Lowe Clayton, DO an obesity-medicine specialist at WakeMed located in North Carolina. “It’s grabbed traction because social-media influencers are putting it out there as the best thing since sliced bread, but it’s not based on any professional opinion.”
Can the Alpine Ice Hack Can Help With Weight Loss?
Another reason why the alpine ice craze has been gaining traction is that it is based on a tenet of fact: The relationship between body temperature, metabolism and weight have been researched (more on that later). There is however no evidence that supports the idea that any supplement will control body temperature or that doing this directly results in weight loss regardless of the claims made by the company.
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“The claims they’re making are unfounded,” adding that certain ingredients may have dangerous interactions with other medications. This is the main reason why she suggests speaking with your doctor prior to beginning to take Alpilean or any other supplements.
The Alpilean capsules are made up of gold algae, dika nuts, Drumstick Tree Leaf, Bigarade Orange ginger and turmeric. Ginger and turmeric are known to have some anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea properties, neither has been thoroughly investigated as a method to influence body temperature and result in weight loss particularly without behavioral changes, as well. Dika nut, also referred to as African mango is believed to have certain benefits for weight loss but the research is tiny and further research is required.
Most concerning is the use of bigarade orange. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states is utilized in supplements for dietary use as a replacement for Ephedra, which is prohibited within the United States because it raises blood pressure and is associated to stroke and heart attacks.
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What Does Research Tell Us About Body Temperature and Weight?
There’s a connection between the body’s temperature and metabolism, weight and even different types of fat in the body. The so-called “brown fat,” for instance, has been proven to reduce calories and create heat. It could also aid in the treatment of overweight, as research suggests.
However, the connections between body temperature and weight are more intricate and aren’t as well-understood as the ice-hack diet’s creators claim that they do, according to Lowe Clayton, who is a professor assistant and the director of clinical education at Campbell University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
In the study that was published in 2020 and cited by the supplement manufacturer For instance researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine observed the way Americans have’s body temperature has decreased in the years since Industrial Revolution. However the weights of our entire population have increased.
However, correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causality. There are many other factors that influence body temperature, such as the gender of an individual, their age, the time of day, or even whether you’ve just lied.
The company took the study and ran with it; they grossly misinterpreted it. The evidence about body temperature and weight is minimal at best, and it’s nothing that obesity medicine specialists would rely on for treatment plans.
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Is the Alpine Ice Hack Diet Safe?
Like other products, Alpilean is not well monitored in authorities like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and, therefore, it is difficult to verify that what’s listed on the label actually is what’s in the bottle. This is the reason it is important to talk to a physician prior to using them, Taub-Dix suggests seeking out a USP Verified Seal. This helps to verify the safety of a product and its contents. Alpilean isn’t affixed with this stamp.
Any medication, no matter what “natural” it’s advertised to be, could cause unwanted side reactions, too. For example, supplements that contain bitter orange, which is another name for bigarade, may cause chest anxiety, headaches, pain as well as bone and muscle discomfort, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements declares.
Even the term “proprietary,” which is utilized in the pills’ promotional material, as well as extravagant claims such as “melt fat” without diet and exercise, should raise alarms, according to the NIH.
“When we look at manufacturers of supplements, they understand that weight loss is a multi-billion dollar industry,” They play on a person’s desire to get to a healthier weight.
Bottom Line: Should You Try the Ice Hack Diet?
There’s not much evidence that supports the ice-hack diet’s claims, according to experts. The product could inspire people to consume more fluids, which are beneficial to combat dehydration, and also reduce appetite, according to Taub-Dix. However, drinking warm herbal tea could be a good option tooas does the costly supplement. isn’t necessary, if not possibly harmful.
“If you think there’s any credibility to this diet, and drinking ice water doesn’t make your teeth cold or force you to wear a heavy sweater, drink the water and skip the supplement,” Taub-Dix. “Save your money.”
For sustainable and healthy weight reduction or management that results in success you need the assistance from a doctor who is trained in managing and losing weight, Lowe Clayton emphasizes. Obesity is a complex chronic disease state, and we have to treat it as such.
This means focusing on nutritious food choices, physical exercise in stress management, quality sleep, and in some instances, medicines or treatments that have scientific backing. There is no magic bullet, there is no magic pill.
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