The Atkins diet, sometimes called the “Atkins Nutritional” approach, is a low-carb (high fat and high protein) diet created by Dr. Robert Atkins during the 1970’s. The basic premise of the diet is that eating refined carbohydrates, such as sugar, high fructose corn syrup and flour, is one of the main contributors to obesity. The theory is that restricting carbohydrates causes the body to burn stored fat for energy instead of burning glucose for energy. His concepts regarding weight loss have been controversial, but the diet has enjoyed popularity for several decades.
A new study, to appear this month in the Archives of Internal Medicine, puts a new twist on the old diet- instead of eating animal-based proteins, some participants in the study ate plant-based proteins. The point of the study was to keep to the basic low-carb, high protein ratio of the original diet, but to substitute plant proteins for animal proteins in an effort to lower cholesterol as well as weight in patients at high risk for heart disease.
The results? Improvements in “bad” cholesterol, blood pressure and total cholesterol were seen in the group that consumed the “Eco-Atkins” diet, although this group lost the same amount of weight as the other group who ate animal protein. The results, however, were small, and experts have come forward to state that more research would be needed to see if these results would last over time. The diet is strict, and some experts doubt whether the diet could be sustained for long periods of time; no experts have said the diet is a bad one, merely that it has its drawbacks, reiterating the need for further study.
Related Links:
The Atkins Diet from Health Guru
The New Atkins Nutritional Approach The Official Atkins Site
What is the Atkins Diet? from Web MD
