Share on Pinterest RiceZenpic is the latest “Ozempic alternative” going viral on TikTok. But does this cheap, trending drink really help you lose weight? alvarez/Getty ImagesTikTok users are drinking RiceZenpic, a drink made from discarded rice water, to lose weight. They claim the drink is full of resistant starch, which suppresses appetite and keeps you feeling fuller for longer, similar to GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegobee. Experts say that while resistant starch may increase satiety, RiceZenpic is not effective as a weight loss aid.
Another weight loss hack is going viral on TikTok, this time a homemade drink called Ricezempic that users claim mimics the effects of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound.
The drink is made by soaking raw rice in water for a short period of time, removing and discarding the rice, and drinking the water.
According to TikTok users, it tastes best when eaten before breakfast.
What's the claim? Proponents say the drink promotes weight loss because it contains resistant starch, which they claim suppresses appetite and keeps you feeling fuller for longer, just like Ozempic.
One TikTok user claims they lost 27 kg (59 lbs) in two months by taking Ricezempic.
So can this drink really mimic the effects of GLP-1 drugs and induce significant weight loss? Health experts aren't convinced.
Lisa Moskovitz, R.D., CEO of Virtual Nutritionists and author of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan, isn't surprised that people are turning to Ozempic alternatives, but she doesn't think Ricezempic is a viable weight-loss solution.
“Ozempic hacks are on the rise and Ricezempic is another example of how many people are searching for a magic pill to lose weight,” she said. “But for the majority of people, losing weight isn't that easy, often due to stressful lifestyles, genetics and other inhibitors.”
Moskovitz described the trend as “low-hanging fruit that gives false hope to people living with obesity and overweight.”
Kim Shapira, a registered dietitian, agreed, saying she felt Reisenpick was “overdoing it.”
“There's a great saying that you can't escape bad dietary habits, and if we could start talking about people's overall diet and lifestyle choices in a positive and empowering way, I think we would see less of an epidemic and there would be no need for Ozempic,” she noted.
One of the reasons why many people claim that Ricezempic is effective for weight loss is because it contains starch. Rice bran is said to contain the naturally occurring resistant starch found in rice.
“Resistant starch slows digestion, improves blood sugar levels, and helps you feel fuller for longer,” Moskovitz explains. “This helps you eat less and promotes a calorie deficit, which is necessary for fat burning.”
Moskovitz said drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovi work by a similar mechanism but are much more powerful and also target areas of the brain that regulate appetite.
Similarly, Shapira noted that Ozempic is a drug that acts on the emotional centers of the brain and also reduces food noise.
“This means that when a person experiences discomfort, they are able to distinguish between hunger and an emotional need for food,” she said.
Drinking rice water will not have the same effect.
The key is that rice water isn't a food: “It's a watery drink without any idea how much actual resistant starch it contains,” Shapira says.
Therefore, Ricezempic is unlikely to promote significant weight loss, but it may have other health benefits.
“The main benefit of Reisenpic is that it provides more resistant starch,” says Moskovitz, “which not only improves blood sugar levels, but also benefits gut health and promotes the growth of good bacteria in the gut.”
This increases the amount of good bacteria in your digestive tract, which is important for proper digestion, immune, mental health, and metabolic health.
Shapira says that while starch has many benefits, it's better to get it from food rather than from rice water.
“Eating rice as part of a balanced diet is beneficial,” she says. “Many people are afraid of starches, but we need to include these types of foods in our diet to improve immune function, heart, gut and brain health.”
Shapira said resistant starch is essentially dietary fiber, which “promotes digestion and improves gut health in a variety of ways, including regulating bowel movements, insulin spikes, and blood sugar levels.”
That being said, Reisenpic is not without potential health risks. In fact, there are some risks associated with jumping on the Reisenpic bandwagon, says Moskovitz.
“First, there is always the potential for food poisoning when ingesting uncooked or raw foods, and rice is no exception,” she explained. “Second, rice is one of the main sources of arsenic, and drinking rice soaked water can increase concentrations and exposure to this toxic heavy metal.”
Moskovitz also said that replacing food with water means cutting down on the amount of nutritious foods in your diet, which is never ideal.
Additionally, Shapira points out that drinking rice water may increase gas, bloating, and constipation if the rest of your diet is not balanced.
Luckily, there are many ways you can mimic the effects of Ricezempic in your diet without succumbing to this potentially dangerous tendency.
“Eating a diet rich in fiber and antioxidants is the best way to boost gut health, promote more stable blood sugar levels, lower calories, and promote healthy, sustainable weight loss,” Moskovitz said.
“You can also supplement with potato starch, which contains even higher amounts of resistant starch than Reisenpic,” she adds.
Although Lisenpic is being promoted as an effective alternative to Ozempic, it is unlikely to be able to mimic that drug's effects.
While it may slow digestion and improve gut health, it's unlikely to lead to significant weight loss and is not the healthiest way to lose weight.
