In recent months, a slimming tip has garnered millions of views on the Tik Tok platform. This is the diet Ice Hack, also known as the Alpine Ice Diet. This is a slimming diet aimed at losing weight quickly and easily, without changing your diet or exercising. If you’re skeptical, so are we.
Behind this diet, there is actually a food supplement called “Alpilean”. The method consists of consuming iced water, combined with a “revolutionary” food supplement supposed to promote fat burning. Decryption with dietitian nutritionist and slimming coach, Vanessa Bedjaï-Haddad.
How does the Ice Hack diet work?
Ice cubes to burn fat
The Ice Hack diet consists, firstly, of drinking a glass of iced water before going to bed to lower body temperature. The effort made by the body to “warm up” would have a fat-burning effect.
“There is indeed a link between body temperature and burning calories. When it is very hot and humid, the body will spend more energy to regulate its internal temperature and therefore burn a greater number of calories” , explains Vanessa Bedjaï-Haddad. “And with the cold, it’s the same. To maintain a constant body temperature, the body will expend energy”she adds. But this energy expenditure is generally low.
…and a “magic” food supplement
According to proponents of the Ice Hack diet, consuming ice water followed by thermogenic fat-burning supplements is enough to cause significant weight loss. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.
The “Alpilean” supplement consists of six ingredients: dika nut aka wild mango kernel, fucoxanthin, moringa leaves, bitter orange aka bitter orange, ginger and turmeric root. However, to date, there is no sufficient data or research to confirm their effectiveness for weight loss.
THE thermogenic fat burners work by stimulating the release of catecholamines, hormones that help break down fat. “They are not new, they have been around for a long time“, laughs the expert. “Theoretically it works but is it magic? Absolutely not !“
These compounds cannot burn fat without minimal effort. “If you limit yourself to taking food supplements to increase your energy expenditure and you do not make an effort on your diet or a minimum of physical exercise, you will not have the expected result”warns the nutritionist.
Is the Ice Hack diet dangerous for your health?
The Ice Hack diet does not pose any particular risks for healthy people. However, it is not recommended in cases of diabetes, heart or blood circulation problems. “Taking food supplements is never trivial“, reminds the nutritionist.
If you want to lose weight, remember that a healthy and balanced diet combined with a regular physical activity are the best ways to burn calories sustainably.
thanks to Vanessa Bedjaï-Haddaddietitian nutritionist and slimming coach
