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What is the Rice Diet?

Karyn Maier
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Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 7,023
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The rice diet is a calorie, protein, and salt restricted diet designed to promote weight loss as well as to prevent or reverse disease. Walter Kempner, a Duke University physician, is credited with developing this diet plan in 1929 while he was treating a patient for high blood pressure and kidney disease. In fact, the rice diet was originally intended to address these conditions specifically. However, many patients who undergo supervised monitoring at the North Carolina outpatient clinic known as the Rice House, also report experiencing lower cholesterol levels, improved glucose metabolism, and reduced severity and frequency of migraines and pain associated with fibromyalgia.

While the name implies that the dieter can look forward to a plate of rice at every meal, this isn’t actually the case. In fact, a variety of foods are encouraged, including fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Moderate amounts of poultry and lean meats are also permitted, as well as nondairy products. Unlike some other popular weight loss diets, the rice diet doesn’t consider carbohydrates to be taboo as long as they’re from whole grains, vegetables, and legumes. However, daily protein intake is limited to a maximum of 20 grams per day, well below the usual recommended daily amount of 46-56 grams per day.

The most severe restriction that comes with the rice diet is sodium intake. Proponents of the diet plan contend that adding salt to foods promotes water retention and stimulates the appetite, which may encourage the dieter to go off track. To deter either from happening, daily sodium intake on the diet is limited to 50 milligrams. Most people, especially Americans, typically consume up to 10 times that amount of sodium each day from processed foods.

As previously mentioned, the rice diet also limits calorie intake. During the initial detoxification phase of the plan, only 800 calories per day is permitted, which typically triggers rapid weight loss right away. Over the course of a few weeks, the patient enters the weight management phase of the plan and calorie intake increases to 1,200 per day. While this limited caloric intake may sustain weight loss, some experts have expressed concerns over the potential risk of setting up a “yo-yo” pattern from the body lowering its metabolism rate in response to the belief that it is in starvation mode. In addition, this caloric restriction is not generally recommended for certain individuals, such as pregnant or lactating women, or those with a metabolic disorder, such as diabetes.

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Karyn Maier
By Karyn Maier
Contributing articles to WiseGeek is just one of Karyn Maier's many professional pursuits. Based in New York's Catskill Mountain region, Karyn is also a magazine writer, columnist, and author of four books. She specializes in topics related to green living and botanical medicine, drawing from her extensive knowledge to create informative and engaging content for readers.

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Discussion Comments
By SteamLouis — On Dec 21, 2013

I did the Duke University rice diet for a while. I lost weight but I gained it all back when I stopped dieting. I think this diet is good for people with high blood pressure who need to cut down their sodium intake. It's not the best way to lose weight.

By donasmrs — On Dec 21, 2013

@fBoyle-- I see your point but I think that the rice diet is safe for non-diabetics.

The diet is called "rice diet" because rice is the preferred carbohydrate. But the diet also has vegetables, meat, beans, fruit and dairy in small portions. It is a complete and balanced diet, so it should not cause metabolic problems for people who follow it.

I started the rice diet plan last month and I have lost five founds so far. It's working and I feel great. I follow all the rules and I also exercise. Diets are mostly about how much effort one puts in.

By fBoyle — On Dec 20, 2013

I have diabetes, so I can't do the rice diet program even if I want to. But I don't think that it's a good diet for people without diabetes either. Rice is a high glycemic food, so it increases blood sugar rapidly and then causes it to fall rapidly. Sudden changes in blood sugar eventually lead to insulin resistance, or type two diabetes. I don't think that anyone should do the rice diet, regardless of whether they have a metabolic disorder or not.

I used to eat a lot of rice before I was diagnosed with diabetes and I actually think that it's one of the foods that contributed to my condition.

Karyn Maier
Karyn Maier
Contributing articles to WiseGeek is just one of Karyn Maier's many professional pursuits. Based in New York's Catskill...
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