Two major studies regarding Atkins diet were conducted so far. Both studies have been published by New England Journal of Medicine and stated the same conclusions:
- Compared to other diets, the weight loss is considerably high. Thus, some health problems associated to overweight are considerably improved.
- the level of triglycerides (blood fats) decreases a lot; besides, the LDL — bad cholesterol doesn't increase at all and this is “good news”.
1st Study: Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center
The first study was directed by Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center and consisted in monitoring 132 severely obese patients, assigned on either a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet (conventional diet), for six months. Only 79 of them reached the finish line.
How did they work? The Atkins dieters were put on a controlled carbohydrate diet: 30 carbs per day according to Atkins diet food list. They were also counselled on types of fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids.
The second group was put on a calorie-controlled diet: that is less than 30 percent of total calories' intake from fat. Most health organizations recommend this standard low-fat diet.
Low-carb dieters lost an average of 13 pounds, whereas low-fat dieters lost about 4 pounds. Cholesterol and blood sugar kept their baseline values on both groups. However, a significant change was detected in the controlled-carbohydrate group: their triglyceride levels fell to 20 percent of the initial value compared to the other group which reduced their level with only 4 percent.
2nd Study: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
This one included only 63 obese men and women and was conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. They were assigned to the same approaches: the Atkins controlled-carbohydrate style and the low-fat conventional diet.
After three months, those on Atkins diet found out that they lost 14.7 pounds, while the other group lost only 5.8 pounds. After six months, the losses were 15.2 and to 6.9 pounds respectively. At the end of the 12 month-trial, the weight-loss was an average of 9.5 compared to 5.4 pounds on the standard low-fat diet dieters.
The most important finding was that the Atkins group registered a greater increase in HDL cholesterol (18 percent compared to 3 percent on the others). The same finding on the level of triglycerides were discovered. Other effects were not monitored during the 6-month and 12-month studies.
Other Studies
The two Atkins diet studies mentioned above and carried out in the past 3 years are the only ones to take into consideration. Short term studies have also been conducted, but health care professionals, as well as nutritional experts agreed that too short studies aren't relevant enough. The recent ones revealed that:
- women included in the Atkins low carb diet study and suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal condition, have moderate benefits from Atkins diet
- people with reactive hypoglicemia (meaning that after eating, their blood sugar level falls to small values) showed positive results in their glycemia.
It is certain that more research has to be made in order to clarify the Atkins diet issue. Researchers are also saying that Atkins diet plan is safe enough to encourage further large studies carried out on long term. Only such studies would crystallize the whole truth about Atkins diet effects.