The Atkins' Diet has been around since the 70s and one of the most common concerns heard is this: is Atkins safe?
If one were to ask the American Heart Association, the answer is a resounding NO. They would probably go on to state that the Atkins diet, given the little concern it has for fat and the focus on protein, is a recipe for a heart attack. In fact, they would probably point to the heart attack suffered by Dr. Atkins in 2002, as a sign that the diet was indeed unsafe. However Dr. Atkins defended the diet saying that the cause was, in fact, an infection. Whether this was true or not is debatable and can no longer be disputed since Dr. Atkins passed away the following year due to injuries from a fall.
Atkins
It has been nearly 40 years since the Atkins diet came around and the fact remains that there is actually no conclusive evidence that can give a definite answer to the is Atkins safe question once and for all. On the other hand, there is no conclusive evidence that says that it is not safe either. In other words, the jury is still very much out regarding this matter.
This does not imply that there were not too many studies done because there were in fact numerous studies with several still ongoing today. The results of the different studies are quite enlightening and they may surprise you.
For instance, in 2003, research carried out at the University of Pennsylvania showed that the Atkins diet can reduce the risk of heart disease! The research showed that those on the Atkins diet raised their HDL or good cholesterol by 11%, compared to 1.6% for low fat diets.
Then in May 2004, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that Atkins dieters had the lowest levels of triglycerides which can trigger heart disease and it also mirrored the results of the previous study regarding higher HDL levels.
Another study in 2007 showed that in a test involving three other diets, namely Zone, LEARN and Ornish, the Atkins diet actually produced the most weight loss!
What these studies did was to throw a shadow of doubt on the "protein and saturated fat is bad for you" school of thought. After all, had these beliefs been true, then the critical blood chemistry numbers of the people on the Atkins diet should be off the charts in a negative sense as far as cholesterol and triglycerides are concerned. But they have been shown to be consistently at the more positive part of the charts and aside from this, the last study proved its efficacy as far as weight loss was concerned.
So, based on the foregoing, is Atkins safe? We cannot speak authoritatively since there is no clear study yet that is conclusive but we can, at the very least, say MAYBE or MAYBE NOT. Look at the numbers and let them guide you to decide for yourself, is Atkins safe for you or not?
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The Lowdown - Is Atkins Safe?