Posted on 05/19/2004 9:50:39 AM PDT by BJClinton
Longest scientific study yet backs Atkins diet
12:21 18 May 04
The claimed benefits of the controversial low-carbohydrate Atkins diet have been reaffirmed in two new studies, one of which is the longest study to date.
"I think it's good news for Atkins dieters," says Linda Stern, who led the first study of 132 obese patients at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia, US.
The diet was devised by the late US doctor Robert Atkins. To lose weight, devotees avoid carbohydrates and consume more protein and fat instead.
Both new studies found that subjects on the Atkins diet shed significant amounts of weight without harmful effects on blood fats and sugars. But the studies have failed to silence critics of the diet, who want the US government to investigate alleged adverse effects.
Year long
Stern's year-long study (Annals of Internal Medicine, vol 140, p778) was twice the length of any previous study. Half the patients followed the Atkins regime, limiting daily carbohydrate intake to just 30 grams. The rest tried losing weight through a conventional low-fat diet much richer in carbohydrates.
By the end, both groups had lost about the same amount of weight, between five and eight kilograms for the Atkins group and three and eight kilos for the low fat group. But the Atkins dieters lost almost all their weight in the first six months, then remained at a steady weight.
Stern says that this pattern of rapid weight loss matches that seen in an earlier but shorter study of Atkins dieters, by Gary Foster's team at the University of Pennsylvania in May 2003. "I'm impressed that they didn't gain it all back," says Stern.
Compared with the low-fat group, Atkins dieters also had lower levels of triglycerides, potentially harmful blood fats which can trigger heart disease. Concentrations of beneficial high density cholesterols (HDLs) also held up better in the Atkins group. And these favourable changes remained till the end of the study, suggesting that there might be lasting benefits.
"But what we really need is a study showing whether people on the low-carbohydrate diet for years have different odds of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes," she says.
Bad cholesterol
A second, six-month study on 120 overweight patients at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, echoes the first, with low-carbohydrate dieters shedding an average of 12 kilos, twice that lost by those on a low-fat regime (Annals of Internal Medicine, vol 140, p769). And the pattern of blood fats and sugars mirrored that in Stern's study.
"Over six months, the diet appears to be relatively safe, but we need to study the safety for longer durations," says Will Yancy, head of the Duke team.
But critics highlight some negative findings from the Duke study. "This new evidence confirms that levels of 'bad' cholesterol worsen in a substantial number of low-carbohydrate dieters," said Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a vegan lobby group in Washington DC.
"And the supposedly dramatic benefits of the diet do not hold up over the long term," said Barnard, referring to the end of weight loss after six months in the Stern study.
Although broadly supportive of the Atkins regime, Yancy warns that the diet could pose risks including the higher "bad" cholesterol, bone loss and kidney stones. Because of this, he discourages first-time dieters from using the regime.
Andy Coghlan
I was on the Atkins for 6 weeks. I lost about 10 lbs, but my cholesterol went from 298 to 203. Amazing.
It was somewhat difficult to stay on if you eat on the fly (I had to fall off when election time came around), but beyond that, I found it a good experience.
Owl_Eagle
" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"
The study could have said Atkins was perfect and effective and Mr. Vegan would have been ranting about it. Yo, Neal, stop eating murdered plants!
>>>"Yo, Neal, stop eating murdered plants!"
Yo, Neal, plants have feelings too. :)
Hoppy
I lost 25lbs. w/ Atkins.
its hard losing ones religion. The fact that eating protein and fat is good for humans just kills some academics.
Thankfully low-carb is all the rage and convenience food is becoming more common.
Exactly. A year from now it will be a WHOLE lot easier than it is today. I have an idea for opening a delivery place that does all low carb, but I'm not really a bread guy and wouldn't be able to tell if a low carb roll was any good.
Anyway, the wife and I have been doing that South Beach Diet for a few weeks. It's a website www.southbeachdiet.com and for $5 a week they plan all your meals, give you a shopping list, let you customize it etc. I'll pay five ones for that service.
Owl_Eagle
" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"
All you low carbers....Take a look here
Ah, so you are the keeper of the low-carb list. Please add me!
:-)
Those of us who actually stayed on the diet longer than 5 days (takes about 3-5 days to flush all the carbohydrates out of your system) know for a fact that Atkins works, and works well. Its nice that the scientist types are finally getting around to admitting that the low fat craze has only made everyone fatter and maybe counting callories isn't the best way to deal with the US obesity epedimic, but there are enough success stories and testimonials around that anyone seriously looking into a weight loss plan has to take Atkins into consideration.
I've been on it around 35 days, have lost 18 pounds and two pants sizes. But to me the biggest and most amazing thing isn't the weight I've lost, or how EASY the diet is, or that I'm not getting a glucose energy crash mid-afternoons, or the fact that the impossible to resist snack attacks are now history, it's how much energy I've had since around the 4th day of the diet.
I feel like a kid again.
The $30.00 I spent for the book/cookbook and carb counter is the best money I've ever spent in my life.
I'm down 24 since January. Haven't weighed this little in 20 years. I've had to buy new pants.
Latest Consumer's Reports issue has a cover story on low-carb foods. They conclude that much of the new convenience foods are so high in calories that it outweighs the low-carb benefits. Plus, the say more Big Stupid Government regulation is "needed". They always say that.
I think a lot of the low-carb prepared foods aren't the best either (read the labels). However, the Breyers ice cream is a lot better than CR says it is, and sometimes you just gotta have something fun.
Stick to low-carb whole foods for the most part, and you'll be fine.
Me? Down 60 in a year.
The wife is a type 2 diabetic. Her last visit, her triglicerides were 1700. Doc put her on the Southbeach diet, very similar to Atkins. 3 weeks later her triglicerides were in the 200's. I sort of went along with the diet too and lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks. Now, some folks have a misconception about Atkins but frankly giving up carbs and eating vegis and meat in moderation (not a 2 pound steak at every meal) really works. I have a salad for lunch every day with about 3 ozs of meat and never felt better. No hunger later in the day.
Apparently Atkins dieters don't continue to lose weigh after six months. The reason: Atkins placed people on a maintenance diet once they've lost all the weight they want to. They do keep off the weight they've lost, and they do stick with the maintenance diet. NBC PROCLAIMED THIS STUDY THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR ATKINS because Atkin's dieters didn't continue to lose weight!
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