The Atkins diet is a popular weight-loss program because many people have successfully dropped pounds quickly. It is a low-carbohydrate diet in which people cut out or greatly reduce their intake of bread, potatoes and other carbohydrates and relied more on protein. However, many health-care professionals have questioned the novelty--and safety--of this approach.
Atkins Overview
The Atkins diet was introduced by Dr. Robert Atkins in 1972. According to Atkins, people in general eat too many carbohydrates. While the body burns carbohydrates as fuel, we consume too many of them for our bodies to also burn off its stored fat. By limiting carbohydrates, the body begins to use its fast stores for energy. Thus we will lose weight, he believed.
Atkins Foods
The Atkins diet has four phases: In the first phase (Induction), people are encouraged to eat protein, such as meat, cheese and dairy products, while limiting carbohydrates to 20 grams per day with most of them (12 to 15 grams daily) coming from vegetables. Dieters are encouraged to eat natural fats but not trans fats. During the second phase (ongoing weight loss or OWL), fruits, nuts, seeds and more vegetables are introduced. In phase three (the pre-maintenance phase), dieters continue to add carbohydrates until they reach the point at which they no longer lose weight. The final phase (lifetime maintenance) involves keeping the same eating habits found in phase three.
Criticism
Some nutrition experts criticize the Atkins diet, saying the emphasis on proteins and fats could lead to bone loss, kidney stones and higher LDL "bad" cholesterol levels. They claim that the diet may lead to increased heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.
Studies
According to an article at New Scientist.com, a year-long study by Linda Stern at the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia showed that study participants on the Atkins diet lost between five and eight kilograms (6.6 and 17.6 pounds) in six months, then maintained their weight for the remaining half of the study. They also had lower triglyceride levels (a signal of heart disease) and better high density (HDL) "good" cholesterol levels.
A six-month study at Duke University showed that low-carbohydrate dieters lost an average of 12 kilograms (26.4 pounds), twice that lost by those who followed a low-fat diet.
"Over six months, the diet appears to be relatively safe, but we need to study the safety for longer durations," Will Yancy, head of the Duke team, reported to New Scientist.com
Considerations
The Atkins Diet was revised in 2002 to recommend the use of lean meat, poultry and fish.
Many people report headaches, constipation and nausea during the first week and may be a reaction to reduced carbohydrate and caffeine intake.
Warning
People with diabetes or kidney disease should consult a doctor or nutritionist before starting the Atkins diet because it does affect blood sugar and insulin levels.
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