The “ice hack diet” is a diet trend rapidly gaining popularity on social media. 

Its marketing often features people holding glasses of ice, implying it’s a “shortcut” for losing belly fat that involves consuming frozen water.

This is a smokescreen.

In truth, the ice hack diet revolves around a product called Alpilean, a weight loss supplement containing a blend of ingredients from the Himalayan Alps.

Alpilean’s creators claim their product is so potent that the weight loss industry has suppressed it, fearing that people will forgo all other diet products once they understand its power.

In this article, you’ll learn whether these claims are legitimate.

We’ll also answer key questions like what is the ice hack diet, does the ice hack diet work, what are its side effects, what are the best alternatives to ice hack diet, and more. 

What Is the Ice Hack Diet (aka Alpine Ice Diet)?

The ice hack diet (aka “Alpine ice diet” or “Alpine ice hack diet”) is a weight loss method gaining significant attention on social media.

While videos promoting the ice hack diet typically show glasses filled with ice, the Alpine ice hack diet actually has nothing to do with frozen water.

In reality, it centers around a supplement called Alpilean.

The company that produces Alpilean claims their dietary supplement contains special ingredients from the Himalayan Alps that raise your core body temperature, which boosts your metabolic rate by “350% or more” and leads to weight loss.

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Does the Ice Hack Diet Work?

Alpilean’s creators claim that humans have steadily gained weight over the past two centuries because our metabolic rate has gradually slowed, a “fact” evidenced by a corresponding decline in core body temperature. 

They also say that taking their weight loss pills counteracts this trend by increasing core body temperature, thereby helping you lose weight.

In support, they cite a study conducted by Stanford University, which analyzed over 677,000 human body temperature measurements spanning 157 years and found that men and women born in the 19th century had core temperatures about 33°F (0.5°C) higher than people today. 

(Alpilean’s website says this was a 2023 study, though the journal eLife actually published it in 2020.)

Crucially, this study says nothing about Alpilean’s claim that obese people have a lower body temperature than their healthier-weight counterparts.

Instead, the study’s authors note that the most plausible explanation for why people typically have a lower body temperature than their forebears is that living standards, sanitation, and healthcare have improved, leading to lower levels of inflammation, and thus, lower core body temperature.

Alpilean also claims inner body temperature plays a role in how your body burns fat, citing a 2019 study published in the International Journal of Obesity as evidence.

However, this study counters Alpilean’s main argument, showing that higher body temperatures correlate with markers of obesity.

Another reason to be skeptical of Alpilean’s claims is that there’s little evidence increasing core body temperature burns calories or helps you lose weight. That is, while obesity may affect core temperature, it’s unlikely the opposite is true. 

In other words, science doesn’t support the connection Alpilean draws between core body temperature and obesity. Moreover, research suggests raising core body temperature won’t help you lose fat.

On these grounds, it’s reasonable to conclude that Alpilean’s ice hack diet is unlikely to aid weight loss.

The Dangers and Potential Side Effects of Alpilean’s Ice Hack Diet

Alpilean uses a “proprietary blend” of golden algae (fucoxanthin), dika nut (African mango seed), drumstick tree leaf, bigarade orange, ginger, and turmeric.

This means they list the components of the mixture but don’t disclose how much of each ingredient they include.

While manufacturers often say proprietary blends protect their formulas from competitors, most consumers see them as a way for companies to obfuscate what their supplements contain so they can use cheaper ingredients in larger quantities, while underdosing expensive ingredients.

Proprietary blends also raise safety concerns. By not disclosing how much of each ingredient is in a supplement, it’s impossible to assess the risk of side effects or interactions with other medications. 

For example, we know that taking large doses of synephrine, a compound found in bigarade orange (also known as “bitter orange”), is associated with cardiovascular issues, including irregular heart beat, stroke, chest pain, and heart attack. Similarly, there’s evidence that bigarade orange can raise blood pressure and adversely affect certain medications.

The problem is, we don’t know if the amount of bigarade orange in Alpilean is enough to cause these unwanted side effects. 

Thus, following the Alpilean ice hack diet is risky. Unless you know exactly what a supplement contains, it’s normally best to avoid it. 

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Ice Hack Diet Reviews and Marketing

The ice hack diet is mostly marketed through social media videos showing someone holding a glass of ice and talking about a family member who lost weight using a “hack” they learned on the news.

These videos also usually show before-and-after photos of the newly slim relative who allegedly achieved their results without dieting or exercising.

Typically, these videos are on accounts with surprisingly large followings, accompanied by exclusively positive comments.

Clicking the link below them takes you to Alpilean’s website, where the message changes from a simple “hack” to promoting their weight loss supplement.

While these review-cum-advertisements seem lighthearted and positive, their authenticity is questionable.

The shift from a glass of ice to a supplement is a marketing tactic to lure viewers with an easy fix, then sell them a product. And the suspiciously large followings and uniformly positive comments hint that these adverts lack transparency and honesty.

Alternatives to the Ice Hack Diet

To lose weight effectively and healthily, adopting a balanced, three-pronged approach is advisable. This strategy should include a nutritious diet, regular exercise, and, if needed, science-backed supplements.

Diet

Dieting to lose weight comes down to eating the right number of calories and the right mix of macronutrients.

Research shows that eating 20-to-25% fewer calories than you burn every day will help you lose fat lickety-split without losing muscle or wrestling with excessive hunger, lethargy, and the other hobgoblins of low-calorie dieting.

And in terms of macronutrients, here are some solid guidelines:

  • Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.
  • Get 20-to-30% of daily calories from fat.
  • Get the remainder of your calories from carbs.

If you’d like more specific information about how to eat to lose weight, take the Legion Diet Quiz. In less than a minute, you’ll know how many calories, how much of each macronutrient, and which foods you should eat to reach your goals. Click here to check it out.

Exercise

To maximize the fat-burning effects of strength training, focus on the following:

  • Compound exercises: A compound exercise is any exercise that targets multiple muscle groups at once. Studies show that compound exercises produce the greatest increases in metabolic rate, muscle mass, and strength, which means they’re the best type of exercise for increasing fat loss.
  • Heavy weightlifting: Research shows that training with 75-to-85% of your one-rep max (weights that you can do 6-to-12 reps with before failing) builds more muscle and burns more fat than training with lighter weights. 
  • Progressive overload: To maximize the muscle-building and fat-burning effects of weightlifting, strive to add weight or reps to every exercise in every workout. This is known as progressive overload, and it’s the single most important driver of muscle growth.

If you want a strength training program to help you build muscle, burn fat, and get in the best shape ever, check out my fitness books for men and women, Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger.

(Or if you aren’t sure if Bigger Leaner Stronger or Thinner Leaner Stronger is right for you or if another strength training program might be a better fit for your circumstances and goals, take Legion Strength Training Quiz, and in less than a minute, you’ll know the perfect strength training program for you. Click here to check it out.)

Some Nutritionists Charge Hundreds of Dollars for This Diet "Hack" . . .

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Supplements

No supplement will magically make you lose fat, but a few can accelerate the process.

The best supplements for boosting fat loss are:

  • 3-to-6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight per day. If you want a clean, delicious source of caffeine, try Pulse.
  • 0.1-to-0.2 milligrams of yohimbine per kilogram of body weight before fasted training. If you want a natural source of yohimbine, try Forge.
  • One serving of Phoenix per day. 

(And if you’d like to know exactly what other supplements you should take to reach any and all of your fitness goals, take the Legion Supplement Finder Quiz.)

+ Scientific References