As more and more Americans are turning to low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets to lose weight quickly, some researchers are concerned that these diets increase the risk of kidney stones and may increase the risk of osteoporosis. This small six-week study followed only ten healthy adults who consumed their usual diet for two weeks, followed by the low-carb, high-protein diet for two weeks, and then a diet that only moderately restricted carbohydrates for four weeks. It has been given an inordinate amount of press in an effort to attack those following the Atkins program. Volunteers lost nine pounds on average, but most developed ketones, which raise the acid levels in the blood - some volunteers acid levels rose by as much as 90%. Volunteers also showed higher levels of calcium in their urine.
The researchers were also concerned about the following with the fact that high acid levels can weaken the kidneys and lead to kidney stones. And animal protein, popular in LCHP diets, has been shown to boost urinary excretion of oxalate, a compound that combines with calcium and other compounds to form kidney stones. What's more, the high levels of calcium in their urine suggest a decreased absorption of the bone-building material -- and an increased risk of osteoporosis.
American Journal of Kidney Diseases 2002;40:265-274
This is a great example of what the media will do to defend their position. This study really doesn't prove one darn thing, yet it was hyped out as a major reason why people should stop the Atkins diet. How can you make any type of broad based generalization on a six-week study of ten people?
Most of these concerns can be easily addressed with proper water and calcium intake. While I am not a fan of ketosis to facilitate weight loss, I believe the concerns that are being addressed are distorted.
Atkins approach is quite close to the optimal one in that he was one of the pioneers who recognized that lower carbohydrate intake is the central solution. I have enormous respect for him for providing us a deeper understanding to the riddle most people face with weight loss.
It is interesting that almost the entire medical profession discounts this board-certified cardiologist's approach to weight loss, while the public seems to love it.
The scientists haven't figured out that while you can fool many people in the short-term with slick marketing campaigns, you can't have the #1 health book on the market for all these years if the program doesn't work.
Dr. Atkins plan does indeed work quite well for many people, and I am sure it has provided major life extensions for many people. It is far healthier than the diets most people consume.
Is the Atkins diet perfect? I don't believe so. No diet is perfect, and that certainly includes mine. But I do believe there are several minor points that could be adjusted to radically improve the Atkins diet's health values.
He also has a radically low daily carbohydrate intake of 20 grams. My guess though is that many people don't read the Atkins Diet carefully enough and just restrict all carbs that add up to 20 grams. Dr. Atkins and the Eades are quite specific, though, in subtracting the fiber carbs from the total carbs to come up with the actual carbs that are digested. One merely subtracts the fiber in a food from the total carbohydrate of the food to obtain a term they call "effective carbohydrate content"
I believe the Eades' second book, Protein Power LifePlan, provides a more sensible approach to weight loss for most, as the restriction starts at 40 grams of carbohydrate. This increase in carbs would allow the intake of more vegetables, with all their other health benefits, and avoids the ketosis that so many healthcare professionals are concerned about.
The Eades' book is, however, a bit complicated and more like a medical textbook, but it really is full of useful information. I hope to have a book that provides a simpler strategy combined with psychological acupressure techniques to help people solve their weight loss challenges available early next year.
Many health experts are also concerned about the saturated fat in the Atkins Diet. If you are still confused about this myth, please read Sally Fallon's excellent article on this topic. What the experts should rightfully be concerned about is the trans fat content of the program. While trans fat will not cause insulin release, it certainly is chock full of other health complications that you should avoid.
It’s interesting that Dr. Atkins' website is the only natural medicine web site that has more visitors than mine. We missed passing him by two weeks, but he received an enormous amount of publicity from the recent New York Times article that catapulted him far ahead in the rankings and we will not pass him until we obtain our media exposure later this fall when we deploy our new site innovations.
Related Articles:
Insulin and Its Metabolic Effects