The Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet – The Low Carbohydrate Alternative?

The Atkins Diet is a high-protein, high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet. It emphasizes meat, cheese and eggs, while discouraging foods such as bread, pasta, fruit and sugar. The Atkins Diet has been promoted extensively over the past years and therefore it is now a well-known example of a low carbohydrate diet - high fat diet. Our research and the corresponding latest announcements of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine on the negative health effects of the Atkins Diet and all high-fat diets in general is very concerning. The Weight-Loss-Institute strongly recommends that anyone considering the Atkins Diet should take into account the comments in our diet pills comparison chart before starting on this diet.

Brie Turner-McGrievy, a clinical research coordinator and registered dietician with the Physicians Committee noted that to date there has only been limited research on these types of diets and therefore the long-term effects are unknown. He also added that there are concerns about diets high in protein, such as the Atkins Diet, which can cause kidney problems, and that diets rich in saturated fats found in meat and dairy products can lead to clogged arteries and cancer.

Katherine Tallmedge, a registered dietician and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said, "Diets high in saturated fat raises LDL ("bad" cholesterol) in most people," which increases the risk of heart disease and heart attacks, Tallmedge said, noting that Atkins himself recently developed heart problems.

Low-carbohydrate diets like the Atkins diet are often touted for their ability to reduce LDL and triglycerides, but this effect is caused by the initial weight loss, Tallmedge said. "Once the weight loss has stopped, they often go higher than ever before," she said.

There are other health consequences of the Atkins diet. Tallmedge stated that an unpublished, six-month study funded by Atkins found 68 percent of the people in the study who were on his diet experienced constipation, 63 percent had bad breath, 51 percent had headaches and some also experienced hair loss.

Medical and scientific research has proceeded greatly since the Atkins Diet came to the market. The Weight-Loss-Institute strongly recommends that anyone considering the Atkins Diet should take into account the comments in our diet pills comparison chart before.

Visit Dr. Atkins website to learn more about the Atkins Diet.