Atkins Diet Health Risks
The following articles explore the possible health risks involved with following The Atkins Diet.
The high-protein, low-carb diet is wildly popular, but what are the Atkins Diet health risks you need to be aware of? How many of these risks are serious, and how many are mere annoyances?
Dispelling Myths
Before discussing the risks of the diet, however, it is important to understand what the Atkins Diet is, and what it is not.
- Not "no carb." This is a four-phase, incremental, low-carb diet. In the first phase, which is to be followed for only two weeks, carbohydrate intake is restricted to 20g daily -- dieters are encouraged to get these carbs from salads and green vegetables. In the second phase, the dieter begins to add 5g of carbs to the daily count at weekly intervals until weight loss stalls or stops. The third and fourth phases are more liberal, and by the time they reach these levels, most dieters are eating 75 or more grams of carbs daily. Again, vegetables and low-sugar fruits are encouraged, rather than empty carbs from non-nutritive desserts. A person who abandons fruits and vegetables, and eats only meat and cheese is not following the Atkins Diet as written.
- Not for everyone. Dr. Robert Atkins makes it quite clear in his book that the Atkins Diet is not for overeaters or people with eating disorders. It is intended for people whose bodies show clear signs of having difficulty processing and utilizing carbohydrate.
- Not independent. While it is possible to follow the plan without ever seeing a physician, Dr. Atkins himself was not in favour of this approach. His books lists several pages of blood and health tests a person should have performed beforehand, and he suggests frequent visits to check blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels.
Atkins Diet Health Risks
If the diet is followed as written, with all medical tests and other guidelines followed, most people will have no serious side effects or health risks. However, certain groups of people should not try the Atkins Diet without close medical supervision, as there are possibilities of negative side effects.
- Ketosis. Ketosis is a state in which the body is burning fat and producing ketones. Ketones are a by-product of fat metabolism, and the state of ketosis should not be confused with ketoacidosis, which is a life-threatening condition that may be developed by diabetics who are burning fat too quickly. For those with diabetes, especially juvenile (Type I) diabetes, the state of ketosis may be undesirable, as it may overwhelm the delicate balance of the system that keeps blood glucose and blood insulin levels under control.
- Kidney Problems. The higher levels of protein in this diet may pose problems for people who have compromised kidney function. For this reason, low-carb, high-protein diets are generally contraindicated for kidney patients and for those at high risk for kidney disease.
- Dehydration. While this shouldn't be a problem, it frequently crops up among low-carbohydrate dieters. The reason is two-fold. The increased sense of fullness from the higher-fat intake can suppress both thirst and appetite -- especially since many people confuse symptoms of thirst with hunger. Thus, a person may simply fail to drink enough water to adequately hydrate the body. The second reason a low-carb dieter may suffer dehydration is the increased fat metabolism. The body must have water to metabolize and excrete fat, and the water that is stored with fat is generally not sufficient to meet this need. Dehydration can be avoided by careful attention to the amount of water drunk each day: as with any diet, the dieter should drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight.
- Electrolyte Imbalance. It is possible, with the increased excretion of water and the accelerated metabolism of fat, to induce a state of hypokalemia, lack of potassium in the blood. It is important, therefore, to ensure that the low-carb dieter includes adequate quantities of low-carb vegetables containing potassium. Broccoli, avocado, cantaloupe, and berries are all good sources for dietary potassium; supplementation is permitted, but those on blood pressure medication should consult their doctors before supplementing with potassium.
- Hypertension and Other Cardiac Problems. While there have been claims of elevated blood pressure and cardiac problems, none of these claims has been shown to be true of those who were following the Atkins Diet as written. Those who completely avoid all sources of carbohydrate may, indeed, incur such problems. But, for those who are faithfully following the written regimen, the opposite effect has often been noted: their blood pressure decreased to levels closer to normal, and their heart function improved.
- Elevated Blood Lipid Levels. One of the fears among doctors and scientists is that the higher fat content of the Atkins diet may put patients at risk for coronary artery disease and other cholesterol-related problems. This fear has not proven to be well-grounded. Most people who follow the diet under their doctor's supervision have reported reduced levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins (LDL, or "bad" cholesterol), and increased levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL, or "good" cholesterol.) Those who are considering this diet, but who already have cholesterol issues may wish to discuss the regimen with their doctors and request frequent lipid profiles during the first few months to ensure lipid levels are not negatively affected.
Minor Side Effects
Some of the minor side effects reported by those who follow the Atkins Diet include:
- constipation, which may be remedied by the addition of flaxseed, celery, and other fiber-rich food sources, as well as increased consumption of water.
- halitosis, which may be addressed by increasing water consumption and adding sugar-free mints or gum to the diet plan.
- fatigue or weakness, which should first be explored to see if it is related to other health problems. If not, then a slight increase to the daily carbohydrate allotment may be in order.
Overall Evaluation
As stated previously, the Atkins Diet is generally safe if followed exactly as written. For certain groups of people, however, including Type I diabetics, kidney disease patients, and people with established heart problems, the Atkins Diet should be attempted only under the careful supervision of a medical doctor. As with any diet endeavor, you should seek the advice of a medical professional before embarking.
Atkins Diet is Massive Health Risk Says Expert
THE Atkins diet is today denounced by a leading scientist as a "pseudo science" posing a massive health risk.
Described as "nutritionally incomplete", the diet, believed to have around two million followers in Britain, was singled out as the worst of the fad diets.
Nutritionist Dr Susan Jebb said: "Fad diets in general prey on the overweight, offering quick fixes and psychological tricks.
However, I see no medical benefit at all in them, and in particular from the Atkins diet.
"Obesity is a massive problem in the UK, but this is not the way to solve it. There is no scientific evidence that the Atkins regime is good for us. Of course in the short term it works, but in the short term any diet that reduces calorific intake will work."
Dr Jebb, head of nutrition at the Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research Centre, was addressing a summer briefing at the Royal Institute designed to curb the huge public interest in fad diets and highlight their associated health risks.
"The Atkins diet is a massive health risk for people - it's simply medically very unsound," she added.
She pointed out that many carbohydrates, outlawed by fad diets, are extremely good for the body. "The gut, in particular, needs a lot of carbohydrate and fibre, which is cut out of these diets," she added. "That can impair its ability to work well, and people are putting themselves at risk if they don't eat a lot of fibre and some carbohydrate."
Dr Jebb believes one of the problems with all fad diets is that it is not usually the morbidly obese following them. She said: "It's usually the slightly overweight doing these diets, and that's a real problem.
"They run the risk of losing muscle instead of fat, which can be extremely dangerous. I also feel strongly that these diets are giving people false hope. We put on weight over a long period, so we have to lose it over a long time as well.
"There is no way to lose a stone in a few weeks without putting your health at risk.
You have to do this over time, when you notice you are gaining weight.
Your first goal should always be not to gain any more weight, rather than deciding you instantly need to shed all your excess weight."
A lack of vitamins and minerals was also raised, with the restrictive fad diets often resulting in a small selection of food being allowed.
Dr Jebb said: "People tend to restrict themselves far more than normal on these diets, and that isn't good. A variety of foods is essential for us to function healthily."
Fad diets were also described as dangerous by leading psychologist Dr Jane Ogden, a reader in health psychology at King's College in London.
She believes fad diets prey on our wishes to be told what to do. "The problem with most medical advice is that it's a bit wishy-washy," she said.
"People are told to cut down on this, eat healthily and it doesn't really mean anything to them.
"What fad diets do is tell them in black and white what they can and can't do, and people identify with that. It's almost as if they have someone to blame for their craving, making it easier to deal with as it's not their fault."
Dr Ogden also believes most people struggle with conventional diets because they are boring. "An awful lot of work goes into something like the Atkins diet to make the menus interesting," she added.
"Diet food, in general, tends to be quite unpalatable to us. There is also the feeling we are missing out on a lot, especially treats."
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