Atkins Diet and Your Health

T he Atkins Diet has been a widely popular diet regimen that a lot of people have started to do. It has become a part of the many famous diets available for the diet-conscious population out there. Some people say that it is a pretty effective diet to follow that can achieve results in a matter of weeks. But there are others who say that going on the Atkins Diet can pose some health risks to the dieter.

The Atkins Diet was developed in the early 1970’s by Dr. Robert Atkins. It follows a low carbohydrate high protein and high fat diet. It was a novel idea during its time and went against conventional beliefs when it came to losing weight. Dr. Atkins believed that it was the carbohydrates in the diet that made people fat. This is because carbohydrates are one of the primary sources of energy used by the body. The carbohydrates, when unused, can be readily stored in the body as fat by the action of insulin.

The excess carbohydrates in the body is transformed into fat by the body and then stored. This is what will become the excess weight in many people. This is what Dr. Atkins saw in his studies and he looked for ways to control or lose weight brought about by taking in too much carbohydrate in the body. That is how the Atkins Diet was developed.

The Atkins Diet follows a regimen that aims to cut the intake of carbohydrates while loading the body with high protein and high fat diet of foods. It restricts the dieter from eating carbohydrate-laden foods like bread, cereals, grains, etc. The Atkins diet emphasizes meat, cheese and eggs in the daily diet because they are rich sources of protein.

Because of the body’s reaction to a lack of carbohydrates in the diet, it will next be getting energy by burning fats and protein. That is why people lose weight quickly because the body has turned on burning body fat for energy. Although this might be a good thing, this kind of diet may have health risks if being followed for long periods of time.

Although the initial reaction of the body to the Atkins Diet may be favorable for the dieter seeking to lose excess body weight, it may prove to be a short term solution. A low carbohydrate and high fat and protein diet may pose some long term health risks for the dieter.

Carbohydrates are still part of the many nutrients needed by the body. Robbing the body of this essential component in the daily diet may certainly have some effect. In the early stages, the body may have to resort to burning fats in the body which may show some benefits. But then the body will be able to hold on by using the carbohydrate stores in the liver and the muscles. But after some time some of the problems may start to occur.

Having a deficiency of carbohydrates can affect some brain and muscle functions. A long term Atkins Diet can affect the normal function of the brain and the muscles as they cannot get enough sugar from the little carbohydrates that the body has available. And it has been known that starving the body of much needed carbohydrates can only make it crave more and more.

The other problem seen in the Atkins Diet is in its high protein and high fat consumption. Many experts say that the high fat consumed with the Atkins Diet should be a cause for concern. Fats are said to contribute to the development of heart disease. People who are on a high fat diet are said to have an increased risk of stroke and cancer. 

There is no question that the Atkins Diet can help people lose weight. The question now is the health risks associated with following the Atkins Diet for long periods. That is what most people should watch out for.