Why is Kempner Rice Diet So effective?

[Dwight]

I have all Dr McDougall’s books. Love them

I don’t understand the theoretical physiology of the Rice Diet efficacy.

Let’s use hypertension as an example. Dr McDougall’s program provides more cardio-protective nutrients than Kempner.

Hence my “mind stall”. Why is Kempner so efficacious for those severely ill. I would think nutrients are key.

But what do I know?

[vegman]

I have all Dr McDougall’s books. Love them

I don’t understand the theoretical physiology of the Rice Diet efficacy.

Let’s use hypertension as an example. Dr McDougall’s program provides more cardio-protective nutrients than Kempner.

Hence my “mind stall”. Why is Kempner so efficacious for those severely ill. I would think nutrients are key.

But what do I know?

The extreme calorie restriction seems likely the cause of the beneficial effects.

[JeffN]

He specifically designed the diet to be extremely low in protein and extremely low in salt.

He allowed fruit juice and sugar to make sure calories were adequate.

In Health
Jeff

[vegman]

I looked at two Rice Diet books I have. Apparently all phases involve calorie counting/portion control, but only the initial phase has extreme calorie restriction, with maintenance-phase calories at the level needed to maintain a healthy weight.

[VeggieSue]

I looked at two Rice Diet books I have.

Which ones, the ones written by Dr Rosatti and his wife after they took over the Rice Diet Program? Their program isn't what Dr Kempner did but just a regular weigh & measure diet program.

Dr Kempner started everyone off on ONLY white rice and fruit, and the patients stayed on only white rice and fruit until they lost the bulk of their weight, according to people I know who actually attended the live-in program. Many moved into apartments and got jobs in the area so they could more easily obtain their meals and get the counseling from the Rice House. I know some who ate only rice and fruit for over a year until they got closer to their ideal weight. Once down to a certain weight range other foods were added, usually just tomatoes or cucumbers, actually fruits that people think of as vegetables. IIR right, while on rice & fruit the calories were usually around 800 daily, and when other foods were added, closer to 1000.

https://www.ricehouse.org/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/rice-diet

[vegman]

One book is by the Rosatis. The other is the Rice Diet Report by Judy Moscovitz from 1986, during Kempner's lifetime.

The plans in the two books differ somewhat. I should clarify that the calorie restriction in all the phases prior to the final maintenance phase is significant, since weight loss occurs.

[f1jim]

Some of the benefits of the rice diet must come from the elimination of so many harmful "foods" not necessarily from the intrinsic nature of rice. I bet the diet would produce similar results by simply switching the starch from rice to potatoes.
Getting the bad stuff out can't be anything but positive.
f1jim

[VeggieSue]

One book is by the Rosatis. The other is the Rice Diet Report by Judy Moscovitz from 1986, during Kempner's lifetime.

The plan in Judy's book is the one the people on the old Rice Diet message board followed, many of whom were still living in Durham and enrolled in the Rice Diet program, eating foods prepared by the Rice House, getting all the required lab tests weekly.

The book Walter Kempner and the Rice Diet goes into a lot more detail about the program. Try your library or interlibrary loan and give it a read. Amazon sells it but it's not cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Walter-Kempner-R ... op?ie=UTF8