In the 'Symptoms - Food - General' section of our in-depth questionnaire we ask the following question about low-carbohydrate dieting:
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Have you been on a high-fat / low-carbohydrate diet, such as the "Atkins Diet"?
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Your answer |
...indicates |
...and suggests |
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"Don't know" |
Not being on a low-carbohydrate diet |
A risk factor |
| 2. |
"No" |
Not being on a low-carbohydrate diet |
A risk factor |
| 3. |
"Yes, but not any more" |
Discontinued low-carb diet |
A risk factor |
| 4. |
"Currently, for less than 2 months" |
Short-term low-carb dieting |
A risk factor |
| 5. |
"Currently, for more than 2 months" |
Long-term low-carb dieting |
A risk factor |
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Your answer will affect the likelihoods of the conditions below.
Any answers in green reduce the likelihood of the condition.
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| Answers |
Condition |
Comment |
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Breast Cancer |
(Women only) Women with the highest intake of animal fat seem to have over a 75% greater risk of developing breast cancer. [Journal of the National Cancer Institute 95 (2003): p.1079] |
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Cancer, General |
The American Cancer Society has officially condemned diets high in animal grease, concluding that "a low carb diet can be a high-risk option when it comes to health." [American Cancer Society. Weighing In on low carb Diets. 2004] |
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Colon Cancer |
Studies at Harvard and elsewhere involving tens of thousands of women and men showed that regular meat consumption increases colon cancer risk as much as 300%. [New England Journal of Medicine 323 (1990): p.1664; Cancer Research 54 (1994): p.2390] As one Harvard School of Public health researcher noted, because of the meat content, two years on the Atkins Diet "...could initiate a cancer. It could show up as a polyp in 7 years and as colon cancer in ten." [Nutrition Action Healthletter January/February 2004: p.1] |
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Coronary Disease / Heart Attack |
Essentially every single study on low carbohydrate diets that measured uric acid levels has shown that uric acid levels rose. [Obesity Research 9 (2001): p.1s] Uric acid itself has been tied to cardiovascular disease risk in virtually every instance it's been studied over the last 50 years, and may be an independent risk factor by increasing free radical damage or making the blood more susceptible to clotting. [American Journal of Cardiology 85 (2000): p.1018]
In another clinical trial, despite statistically significant weight loss reported in the Atkins group, every single cardiac risk factor measured worsened after a year on the Atkins Diet (measures included LDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio, homocysteine, Lp(a), and fibrinogen). While the LDL in the Atkins group increased 6%, the LDL cholesterol levels in the whole-foods vegetarian group was cut in half - dropping 52%.
Based on an analysis of the Atkins Diet, long-term use of the Atkins Diet is expected to raise coronary heart disease risk by over 50%. [Journal of the American College of nutrition 19 (2000): p.578] |
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Effects of a Low Carbohydrate Diet |
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Effects of a Low Carbohydrate Diet |
(Obvious connection) |
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General Mineral Requirement |
The American Heart Association states: "Individuals who follow these diets are therefore at risk for compromised vitamin and mineral intake, as well as potential cardiac, renal, bone, and liver abnormalities overall." [Circulation 104 (2001): p.1869] |
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Kidney Disease |
Followers of diets such as Atkins' risk kidney damage [New England Journal of Medicine 307 (1982): p.652]. Atkins once wrote "The diet is safe for people even if there is a mild kidney malfunction." We now know this to be false.
In a press release entitled "American Kidney Fund Warns About Impact of High-Protein Diets on Kidney Health," their Chair of Medical Affairs Paul W. Crawford, M.D., wrote, "We have long suspected that high-protein weight loss diets could have a negative impact on the kidneys, and now we have research to support our suspicions." [American Kidney Fund news release, 25 April 2002] Dr. Crawford is worried that the strain put on the kidneys could result in irreversible "scarring in the kidneys."
The Harvard Nurse’s Study proved that high meat protein intake was associated with an accelerated decline in kidney function in women with mild kidney insufficiency [Ann In ed 138 (2003): p.460]. The problem is that millions of Americans - as many as one in four adults in the United States - seem to already have reduced kidney function, but do not know it, and would potentially be harmed by high meat diets like Atkins [American Journal of Kidney Diseases 41 (2003): p.1]. The amount of protein deemed "excessive" in the Nurses Study and which furthered their kidney damage is only about half of what one might expect to get on the Atkins Diet. [Journal of the American College of Cardiology 43 (2004): p.725]
American Kidney Fund chair Dr. Crawford concluded, "Chronic kidney disease is not to be taken lightly, and there is no cure for kidney failure. The only treatments are kidney dialysis and kidney transplantation. This research shows that even in healthy athletes, kidney function was impacted and that ought to send a message to anyone who is on a high-protein weight loss diet." [American Kidney Fund News release, 25 April 2002] |
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Kidney Stones (Urolithiasis) |
The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that high animal protein intake is largely responsible for the high prevalence of kidney stones in the United States, which can cause severe pain or even urinary obstruction and kidney damage. Plant protein did not seem to have a harmful effect. [American Family Physician 60 (1999): p.2269] |
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LDL/HDL Ratio, High |
The May 2004 Annals of Internal Medicine study showed that a third of Atkins Dieters suffered a significant increase in LDL cholesterol. One person's LDL shot from an unhealthy 184 to a positively frightening 283 (which means their total cholesterol was probably somewhere over 350). [Annals of Internal Medicine 140 (2004): p.769] With so many people on these diets, that could mean Atkins is endangering the health of millions of Americans. LDL cholesterol is, after all, one of the most important risk factors for the number one killer in the United States for both men and women: heart disease. [Circulation 89(1994):1329] |
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Multiple Vitamin Need |
Atkins followers risk a number of serious nutrient deficiencies [Journal of the American Dietetics Association 86 (1985): p.460]. When cutting calories, it’s especially important to eat nutrient-dense diets, but the Atkins Diet presents a double whammy; it restricts the healthiest foods like fruit and unrestricts some of the unhealthiest. The American Heart Association states: "Individuals who follow these diets are therefore at risk for compromised vitamin and mineral intake..." [Circulation 104 (2001): p.1869]
Diets such as Atkins' maximize the consumption of disease-promoting substances like the cholesterol and saturated fat, and industrial pollutants and carcinogens in meat, yet restrict one’s intake of fiber and the literally thousands of antioxidants and phytochemicals found exclusively in the plant kingdom (like the carotenoids, lycopenes, bioflavenoids, phytic acid, indoles, isothiocyanates, and so on) that have "anti-aging, anti-cancer and anti-heart disease properties" [Obesity Research 9 (2001): p.1S]. As a 2004 medical review concluded, the Atkins Diet is so "seriously deficient" in nutrition that "there is real danger of malnutrition in the long term." [Journal of the American College of Cardiology 43 (2004): p.725]
Realizing that this diet is so deficient in nutrients, Atkins prescribes no fewer than 65 nutritional supplements to help fill the nutritional gaps created by this diet - available on the Atkins web site. "Who needs orange juice," Atkins wrote, "when a Vitamin C tablet is so handy?" [Atkins, RC. Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution. David McKay Company, Inc., 1972] |
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Osteoporosis - Osteopenia |
The concern with bone health arises from the fact that muscle ("meat") protein has a high sulphur content. When people eat too much of this protein, the sulphur forms acid within our bodies which must somehow be neutralized to maintain proper internal pH balance. One way our body can buffer the sulphuric acid load caused by the meat is with calcium borrowed from our bones. People on high meat diets can lose so much calcium in the urine that it can actually solidify into kidney stones. [Journal of Pediatrics 117 (1990): p.743] Over time, high animal protein intakes may leach enough calcium from the bones to increase one's risk of osteoporosis. People may be literally peeing their bones into the toilet.
In the Harvard Nurse’s study, which followed over 85,000 nurses for a dozen years, found that those who ate more animal protein had a significantly increased risk of forearm fracture. While plant-based (vegan) proteins did not show a deleterious effect, women eating just a serving of red meat a day seemed to have significantly increased fracture risk. [American Journal Epidemiology 143 (1996): p.472] Other studies have linked meat consumption to hip fracture risk as well. [American Journal of Clinical Nutr. 73 (2001): p.118]
In 2002, researchers from the Universities of Chicago and Texas published a study that put people on the Atkins Diet and measured 1) how acidic their urine got and 2) just how much calcium they were urinating out. They reported that the Atkins Diet resulted in a "striking increase in net acid excretion." After just two weeks on the Atkins Diet, the subjects were already losing 258mg of calcium in their urine every day. They concluded that the Atkins Diet "provides an exaggerated acid load, increasing risks for renal calculi [kidney stone] formation and bone loss." [American Journal of Kidney Diseases 40 (2002): p.265] In addition, the Atkins Diet is actually deficient in calcium in the first place. |
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Potassium Need |
According to Dr. Atkins himself, some people lose so much potassium they may need professional help. According to Atkins, sales of potassium supplements "of anywhere near the proper amount of potassium you may need are illegal over the counter; therefore you may need a doctor to write you the proper prescription." [Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 3rd edition. M. Evans and Company, Inc. 2002] |
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Pregnancy-Related Issues |
(Women only) Acetone and other ketones (part of being in a state of ketosis brought on by following a low-carbohydrate diet) seems to cause brain damage in the fetus which may result in the baby being born mentally retarded. [Maryland State Medical Journal 1974: p.70]
Despite the fact that ketones seemed to cause "significant neurological impairment" and an average loss of about 10 IQ points was well known and arousing "considerable concern" years before Atkins published his Diet Revolution [Clinics in Endocrinology and Metabolism 12(1983): p.413], Atkins nonetheless wrote "I recommend this diet to all my pregnant patients." [Atkins, RC. Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution. David McKay Company, Inc., 1972]
After enough pressure from the AMA, Atkins finally relented. "There’s one other point I’m really sorry about." Atkins finally admitted, "I now understand that ketosis during pregnancy could result in fetal damage. My pregnant patients have never had this problem, but I realize I didn’t study enough cases to validate my recommendation. If anyone wants a retraction, I’ll be glad to give one." [New York magazine March 1973.] |
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GLOSSARY
Antioxidant (Antioxidants)
A chemical compound that slows or prevents oxygen from reacting with other compounds. Some antioxidants have been shown to have cancer-protecting potential because they neutralize free radicals. Examples include vitamins C and E, beta carotene, the minerals selenium and germanium, superoxide dismutase (SOD), coenzyme Q10, catalase, and some amino acids.
Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Carbohydrates (Carbohydrate)
The sugars and starches in food. Sugars are called simple carbohydrates and found in such foods as fruit and table sugar. Complex carbohydrates are composed of large numbers of sugar molecules joined together, and are found in grains, legumes, and vegetables like potatoes, squash, and corn.
Cardiac
Pertaining to the heart, also, pertaining to the stomach area adjacent to the esophagus.
Cardiovascular
Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels.
Cholesterol
A waxy, fat-like substance manufactured in the liver and found in all tissues, it facilitates the transport and absorption of fatty acids. In foods, only animal products contain cholesterol. An excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Chronic Renal Failure (Chronic Renal Insufficiency, Kidney Failure, Renal Insufficiency)
(CRF) Irreversible, progressive impaired kidney function. The early stage, when the kidneys no longer function properly but do not yet require dialysis, is known as Chronic Renal Insufficiency (CRI). CRI can be difficult to diagnose, as symptoms are not usually apparent until kidney disease has progressed significantly. Common symptoms include a frequent need to urinate and swelling, as well as possible anemia, fatigue, weakness, headaches and loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, bad breath and itchy skin may develop as toxic metabolites, normally filtered out of the blood by the kidneys, build up to harmful levels. Over time (up to 10 or 20 years), CRF generally progresses from CRI to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD, also known as Kidney Failure). Patients with ESRD no longer have kidney function adequate to sustain life and require dialysis or kidney transplantation. Without proper treatment, ESRD is fatal.
Colon (Colonic)
The part of the large intestine that extends to the rectum. The colon takes the contents of the small intestine, moving them to the rectum by contracting.
Dialysis
The artificial process of cleaning wastes from the blood when kidneys fail.
Epidemiology
The study of the causes and distribution of disease in human populations.
Free Radical (Free Radicals)
A free radical is an atom or group of atoms that has at least one unpaired electron. Because another element can easily pick up this free electron and cause a chemical reaction, these free radicals can effect dramatic and destructive changes in the body. Free radicals are activated in heated and rancid oils and by radiation in the atmosphere, among other things.
High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
Also known as "good" cholesterol, HDLs are large, dense, protein-fat particles that circulate in the blood picking up already used and unused cholesterol and taking them back to the liver as part of a recycling process. Higher levels of HDLs are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease because the cholesterol is cleared more readily from the blood.
Kidney Stone (Kidney Gravel, Kidney Stones)
A stone (concretion) in the kidney. If the stone is large enough to block the tube (ureter) and stop the flow of urine from the kidney, it must be removed by surgery or other methods. Also called Renal Calculus. Symptoms usually begin with intense waves of pain as a stone moves in the urinary tract. Typically, a person feels a sharp, cramping pain in the back and side in the area of the kidney or in the lower abdomen. Sometimes nausea and vomiting occur. Later, pain may spread to the groin. The pain may continue if the stone is too large to pass; blood may appear in the urine and there may be the need to urinate more often or a burning sensation during urination. If fever and chills accompany any of these symptoms, an infection may be present and a doctor should be seen immediately.
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
Also known as "bad" cholesterol, LDLs are large, dense, protein-fat particles composed of a moderate proportion of protein and a high proportion of cholesterol. Higher levels of LDLs are associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
Metabolism (Metabolic, Metabolize, Metabolizes, Metabolizing)
The chemical processes of living cells in which energy is produced in order to replace and repair tissues and maintain a healthy body. Responsible for the production of energy, biosynthesis of important substances, and degradation of various compounds. Also defined as the sum total of changes in an organism in order to achieve a balance (homeostasis): Catabolic burns up, anabolic stores and builds up; the sum of their work is metabolism.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Mineral (Minerals)
Plays a vital role in regulating many body functions. They act as catalysts in nerve response, muscle contraction and the metabolism of nutrients in foods. They regulate electrolyte balance and hormonal production, and they strengthen skeletal structures.
Osteoporosis
A disease in which bone tissue becomes porous and brittle. The disease primarily affects postmenopausal women.
Over-The-Counter (OTC, Over The Counter)
A drug or medication that can legally be bought without a doctor's prescription being required.
pH
A measure of an environment's acidity or alkalinity. The more acidic the solution, the lower the pH. For example, a pH of 1 is very acidic; a pH of 7 is neutral; a pH of 14 is very alkaline.
Phytochemicals (Phytochemical)
Substances such as vitamins and minerals that occur naturally in plants and have been shown in research to possibly prevent or cure disease.
Polyp (Polyps)
A usually nonmalignant growth or tumor protruding from the mucous lining of an organ such as the nose, bladder or intestine, often causing obstruction.
Potassium
A mineral that serves as an electrolyte and is involved in the balance of fluid within the body. Our bodies contain more than twice as much potassium as sodium (typically 9oz versus 4oz). About 98% of total body potassium is inside our cells. Potassium is the principal cation (positive ion) of the fluid within cells and is important in controlling the activity of the heart, muscles, nervous system and just about every cell in the body. Potassium regulates the water balance and acid-base balance in the blood and tissues. Evidence is showing that potassium is also involved in bone calcification. Potassium is a cofactor in many reactions, especially those involving energy production and muscle building.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Saturated Fat (Saturated Fats)
A type of fat that is readily converted to LDL cholesterol and is thought to encourage production of arterial disease. Saturated fats tend to be hard at room temperature. Among saturated fats are animal fats, dairy products, and such vegetable oils as coconut and palm oils.
Triglyceride (Triglycerides)
The main form of fat found in foods and the human body. Containing three fatty acids and one unit of glycerol, triglycerides are stored in adipose cells in the body, which, when broken down, release fatty acids into the blood. Triglycerides are fat storage molecules and are the major lipid component of the diet.
Uric Acid (Hyperuricemia)
The final end product of certain native or dietary proteins, especially the nucleoproteins found in the nucleus of cells. Unlike the much smaller nitrogenous waste product urea, which is mostly recycled to form many amino acids, uric acid is an unrecycleable metabolite that must be excreted: nucleoprotein to purine to uric acid to the outside in the urine or the sweat. Hyperuricemia: Having elevated blood uric acid, either from a rapid rate of cell breakdown and synthesis (such as might occur from fasting, heavy training, trauma or any number of major diseases), a high consumption of organ meats, glandular supplements or spirulina, or the inability (usually hereditary) to excrete uric acid in the urine as fast as it is produced, even though production itself is not elevated.
Vegan (Veganism, Vegans)
A person who consumes no animal products of any kind. In other words, vegans do not consume meat, fish, fowl, dairy products, eggs, honey, or products containing gelatin or any other animal-derived ingredients such as whey powder or food colorings.
Vegetarian (Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian, Vegetarianism, Vegetarians)
A person who consumes no meat, fish or fowl (chicken, turkey, etc.), but who may consume animal products such as dairy products (milk, cheese, butter, etc.), eggs or honey.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
A water-soluble antioxidant vitamin essential to the body's health. When bound to other nutrients, for example calcium, it would be referred to as "calcium ascorbate". As an antioxidant, it inhibits the formation of nitrosamines (a suspected carcinogen). Vitamin C is important for maintenance of bones, teeth, collagen and blood vessels (capillaries), enhances iron absorption and red blood cell formation, helps in the utilization of carbohydrates and synthesis of fats and proteins, aids in fighting bacterial infections, and interacts with other nutrients. It is present in citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, potatoes and fresh, green leafy vegetables.
Last updated: Feb 28, 2008
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