Alpine Ice Hack Diet: Is This Viral Trend Safe and Effective?

What is the Ice Hack Diet?

The ice hack diet is very simple on the surface. All you need to do is drink ice cold water or chew ice throughout the day. On TikTok, people are downing full glasses of icy water, chewing big ice cubes, and some are even bathing in ice baths.

The claim is that drinking the super cold water or ice forces your body to warm itself back up, which boosts your metabolism. A faster metabolism means you burn more calories, which translates to potential weight loss over time.

People on TikTok and Instagram boast about dropping pounds rapidly with the ice diet. But is this frozen weight loss trick too good to be true?

Does Drinking Ice Water Really Boost Metabolism?

It's true that drinking very cold water forces the body to work harder, which does burn calories. When you ingest something cold, your body has to warm it up to reach your internal body temperature.

Studies show that drinking 16 ounces (500 ml) of ice cold water can burn around 13 extra calories. That's because the cold activates your brown adipose tissue (BAT), which generates heat to warm you up. The more brown fat you have, the more calories you'll burn with the ice hack.

However, this calorie burn from ice water is extremely minimal. You'd have to drink gallons of icy water per day to add up to any significant calorie deficit for weight loss.

Experts estimate you'd need to drink 46 liters of ice cold water daily to burn up to 200 extra calories. That's a huge amount of water intake for the average person to maintain long-term.

Other Potential Fat Burning Effects

Besides the small calorie burn, there may be other effects of ice cold water that promote minor weight/fat loss.

Some research shows that drinking ice cold water can slightly boost your metabolic rate for up to 40 minutes afterward. The more cold water you drink, the longer the metabolic boost may last.

Ice water may also suppress your appetite slightly, due to activating the vagus nerve. So you may eat less after drinking icy cold water, creating a calorie deficit.

Additionally, there's some evidence that regular cold exposure could turn white fat cells into calorie-burning brown fat. This effect is likely very small though and requires frequent exposure to frigid temperatures.

Potential Risks and Downsides

While the ice hack diet may provide minor fat burning effects, there are also some potential risks and downsides to watch out for.

First, drinking large volumes of icy water may upset your stomach, making you feel nauseous or cause cramps. It can also worsen symptoms if you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Chewing ice constantly can damage tooth enamel and lead to increased dental cavities over time. So you'll want to limit this habit.

Some people also experience headaches from drinking large amounts of cold water rapidly. This can occur due to the quick change in brain temperature.

Lastly, following this diet can be impractical and unsustainable if taken to extremes. It's challenging to only drink icy liquids or chew ice all day long.

Healthier Ways to Boost Metabolism

While the ice hack diet may provide a tiny metabolism boost, there are much more effective and sustainable ways to increase fat burning.

Here are some healthier metabolism-boosting tips to try instead:

• Do aerobic exercise - Cardio workouts like running, swimming, cycling, etc. can massively boost metabolism and burn serious calories.
• Build muscle - The more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at rest.
• Eat more protein - A high protein diet helps maintain and build calorie-burning lean muscle.
• Drink green tea - Compounds in green tea called catechins can aid metabolism and fat loss.
• Get enough sleep - Poor or insufficient sleep can negatively impact your metabolism.
• Reduce stress - High cortisol levels from stress encourage fat storage, especially around the stomach.

The Bottom Line

The viral ice hack diet is unlikely to produce significant weight loss for most people. While there are a few potential fat burning mechanisms at play, the effects are minor and likely unsustainable.

You'd need to drink gallons of icy water per day or eat pounds of ice to get any meaningful calorie burn. And chewing ice all day long can damage your teeth.

If you enjoy ice cold water, feel free to drink it for a refreshing treat. But don't rely on the ice hack alone to slim down. Combine it with a healthy diet, exercise, sleep, and stress relief for effective, long-term weight loss.

The ice hack may provide a fun supplementary boost, but it shouldn't replace proper metabolism-boosting nutrition and lifestyle habits.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.