Atkins diet is completely opposed to anything else used for years before by traditional nutritionists and medical care experts. It has been scrutinized lately and some questions and concerns arised. Scientific data to strongly and entirely support medical concerns are still missing. Nevertheless, some incomplete or small studies which have been conducted until now can't be ruled out. Regarding lifestyle, atkins diet dangers are coming from four major directions:
Cardiovascular Risk Factors
First of all, physicians from the American Heart Association are worried because a high-animal protein and high-fat diet is damaging the heart condition and blood vessels' health (blood flow and blood clots especially). Emphasizing foods like meat, eggs, saturated fats and eliminating fruits and starchy vegetables, Atkins diet restricts, in fact, those foods rich in essential nutrients. The low fiber intake is also blamed by the American Heart Association. In their opinion, an eating regimen so rich in meat and fatty foods is highly favoring coronary heart diseases and even strokes. In AHA's opinion, many people are already eating too much high-protein and high-fat foods than they really need daily.
Kidney Stones
Regarding kidney stones, specialists quoted by “American Journal of Kidney Diseases” are worried because high-protein diets lead to a very high acidity in the human body (as much as 90%). The calcium level rises abnormally, too. These are responsible for increasingthe level of a compound called oxalate in the urinary excretion. This compound has the ability to combine itself with other present substances and calcium and give birth to kidney stones. This has been revealed by a small six-week study on ten healthy adults.
Osteoporosis
The same small study has shown that the same high levels of calcium in the volunteers' urine lets out a decreased absorption of calcium (saw as the bone-building material). Eventually, this causes osteoporosis.
Constipation
Constipation has already been admitted by dr. Atkins himself as an adverse effect of his diet, in the Induction phase (which is rather depriving the dieter of fibers). On a long-term basis, constipation might become chronic. Its appearance is harmful for two reasons:
- a bowel deficiency is the cause of dangerous toxicity in the human body
- its presence might push someone to become addictive to laxative medication
The nutritional care community is also suspicious regarding: nutritional adecquacy, dietary compliance and quality of life. Until now there are two charges related to “Atkins bad diet”: a 41-year-old male and a 16-year-old girl died while on Atkins diet. It is worth mentioning that the American National Institute of Health is now conducting a large 3 year-study on low-carb dieting, including Atkins diet.