*I have posted on this information prior, but this 'diet' is becoming a widely used tool.
The rice and sugar diet from the 1930s refers to a therapeutic dietary protocol developed by Dr. Walter Kempner, a German-American physician and researcher at Duke University. It became known as the “Rice Diet” and was first introduced in 1939.
🔹 What Was the Rice Diet?
The original Rice Diet was extremely low in:
- Fat
- Protein
- Sodium
- Cholesterol
And high in:
- Carbohydrates (from white rice, fruit, and refined sugar)
🔹 Basic Composition:
The basic daily diet consisted of:
- White rice (unseasoned, plain)
- Fruit (fresh or canned, unsweetened)
- Fruit juices
- White sugar (added to increase calories and maintain weight)
- Supplements (later added to prevent deficiencies)
This diet could provide anywhere from 800 to 1200 calories per day, later modified based on patient response.
🔹 Purpose:
Dr. Kempner originally used it to treat:
- Malignant hypertension
- Kidney disease
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes (Type 2)
He believed that a severely restricted, low-sodium, low-protein diet reduced the workload on kidneys and blood vessels and helped with cardiovascular repair.
🔹 Why So Much Sugar?
Surprisingly, refined sugar was added to help:
- Meet caloric needs (especially in underweight or catabolic patients)
- Prevent muscle breakdown from starvation
- Make the otherwise bland diet more tolerable
🔹 Outcomes:
- Many patients experienced dramatic reductions in blood pressure.
- Some reversed signs of kidney damage and heart failure.
- The results were seen as miraculous at the time, especially before widespread use of antihypertensive medications.
🔹 Controversy:
- Modern critics point out the nutrient deficiencies and potential issues with excessive sugar intake.
- However, Kempner documented significant therapeutic success, especially for cases considered untreatable in the pre-pharmaceutical era.
🔹 Modern Legacy:
Though now mostly obsolete in medical practice, Kempner's Rice Diet laid the groundwork for:
- Modern plant-based therapeutic diets
- Nutritional reversal of chronic diseases
- Interest in low-sodium, low-fat, and whole-foods interventions
There was even a “Rice Diet Clinic” in Durham, North Carolina, which operated until 2013.
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