Is the Magical Leek Soup Diet Effective for Fat Loss?

Leeks have long been considered a diet food by French women.

To make “magical leek soup,” French women would boil the leeks and drink the water. However, you may be wondering whether this fat-burning drink is truly magical or just a fad.

This article demonstrates how to make magical leek soup and delves into the research to see if the diet is effective for weight loss.

What is this mysterious leek soup?

It’s unclear when and who invented the magical leek soup. In the early 2000s, however, Mireille Giuliano discussed the diet in her best-selling book, French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure.

Giuliano, a slim French girl, recounts her experience as an exchange student in America and returning fat.

She went to her family physician, “Dr. Miracle,” who gave her several recipes, none of which, she claimed, were more important than the magical leek soup recipe.

Because leeks are a mild diuretic, drinking one cup of leek soup every 2–3 hours for 48 hours would result in immediate fat loss.

Nothing else is permitted during these 48 hours except the soup.

Giuliano’s magical leek soup recipe is as follows:

Remove the top dark green leaves and the roots of 2 pounds of leeks.

To remove any dirt, slice the leeks and rinse them under cold water in a colander.

Fill a large pot halfway with water and add the leeks.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low heat and cook without a lid for 20–30 minutes.

Fill a container with the liquid and close it tightly.

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. If desired, garnish with chopped parsley, and voila!

After reheating, store the juice in the fridge and drink it warm or at room temperature.

The magical leek soup is not the same as the traditional French potato leek soup, which is the traditional base soup in French cuisine.

Potato leek soup, also known as potage parmentier, is made with pureed leeks and potatoes, as well as broth, heavy cream, garlic, herbs, and spices.

Can it assist you in losing weight?

Because the magical leek soup diet requires you to eat nothing but broth for 48 hours, you’re likely to lose weight.

Each cup of broth contains approximately 15 calories (240 mL).

You would only consume 240 calories if you drank 16 cups of leek soup over the recommended 48 hours.

Your body enters a fasting state after consuming so few calories over two days.

Glycogen, your body’s storage form of carbohydrates, and water are depleted from your muscles and liver during this state.

People who begin a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet lose weight quickly in the first week due to this loss of glycogen and water.

As a result, the majority—if not all—of the weight you lose on the magical leek soup diet comes from glycogen and water loss rather than fat.

After the recommended 48 hours, your glycogen stores will be refilled, and you will probably gain back all of the weight you lost.

So, the magical leek soup diet is not a good way to lose weight or keep it off.

Still, some people may use the magical leek soup diet to “reset” or “detox” after eating unhealthy foods.

While this may make you feel better temporarily, it is unnecessary and may lead to disordered eating or an eating disorder.

Leeks have many health benefits

Even though the magical leek soup diet won’t help you lose weight in the long run, leeks are full of nutrients.

Onions, chives, scallions, and garlic are all members of the Allium genus, as are leeks.

Organosulfur compounds found in allium vegetables have powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties.

Eating a diet rich in leeks and other allium vegetables has been linked to a lower risk of certain cancers and may provide protection against heart disease, diabetes, and other inflammatory conditions due to their properties.

Leeks are also high in vitamins and minerals.

170 grammes (1 cup) of cooked leeks provide

• Vitamin C: 20% of the daily value (DV)
• Vitamin A: 18% of the DV
• Vitamin E: 14% of the DV
• Copper: 25% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 24% of the DV
• Folate: 24% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 5% of the DV
• Magnesium: 12% of the DV
• Thiamin: 8% of the DV
• Calcium: 8% of the DV
• Potassium: 7% of the DV
• Vitamin K: 73% of the daily value (DV)
• Iron: 21% of the DV

How to cook with and eat leeks

Leeks are very useful because you can cook them in many different ways and add them to your diet.

Because the darker green leaves are bitter, only the white and light parts of the leeks (the stem) are eaten.

However, many people use the leaves to flavour homemade stock with onions.

Leeks can be eaten raw or cooked.

The following are the steps to cutting leeks:

1. Remove the stringy roots and dark green leaves with a knife.
2. Leeks should be cut in half lengthwise.
3. Make thin half-moons out of the white and light green parts.
4. To remove any dirt, place it in a colander and rinse under cool water.
5. Before you begin cooking, blot them dry with a paper or kitchen towel.

Here are a few different ways to eat leeks:

• They’ve been roasted. Clean and half a few leeks before adding them to a pot roast or roasted vegetable pan.
• Toss with a salad. Toss in some raw leek slices to give your salad some extra crunch.
• Prepare a soup. Make potato leek soup with this simple recipe.
• mash. By dicing the white part of the leek and adding it to the potatoes as they begin to boil, you can make mashed potatoes.
• Similarly to other vegetables, steaming leeks rather than boiling them increases their nutrient retention.

In conclusion

The magical leek soup diet consists of drinking leek broth every 2–3 hours for 48 hours with no other food or drink.

If you eat so few calories, you will lose weight, but it won’t be fat. Instead, you will lose glycogen and water.

Even though magical leek soup is not an effective or healthy way to lose weight, leeks do have some good nutrients.

Leeks can be eaten raw or cooked, and their versatility allows them to be used in a variety of dishes.