My Healthy Heart Blogs
Study Delivers Tough Blow to Atkins Diet
11/13/07
Nutrition & Exercise
While the Atkins diet may promise dramatic weight loss for some people, new research shows that the diet can also dramatically affect cholesterol—for the worse.
Of three diets, Atkins, South Beach, and Ornish, people on Atkins reported a 16-point increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol after one month. They also showed signs of hardening arteries. Both high cholesterol and hardened arteries are risk factors for stroke and heart attack.
The study conducted at the University of Maryland also determined that study participants on the South Beach and Ornish diets had lower LDL cholesterol after one month. The Atkins diet focuses on limiting carbohydrate intake. In place of eating fruits, vegetables, and grains, Atkins followers consume more protein-rich foods which can be higher in fat.
Representatives from Atkins Nutritionals, a company that markets the Atkins diet, were critical of the small scale of the study, citing the number of people who finished the study (18) and its short-term observation (one month).
For more information, read this article from the New York Post. Always discuss dietary changes with your physician.
Source:
New York Post, November 7, 2007
