Why is there such misinformation and lies out there about the Atkins Diet?

Why is there such misinformation and lies out there about the Atkins Diet?I have been encouraged by my primary care physician to maintain a low-carb diet. The Atkins Diet is my preferred low-carb diet because it is the one that works the fastest and best for me. It has always puzzled me that there are so many opinions out there fighting against Atkins. There is a religious zeal out there AGAINST the diet as if one would be sinning against mankind if they chose to use the diet. Even the government is against it (which to me means that there must be something true about it). Anyway, all I know is - IT WORKS - and it has also lowered my blood pressure (contrary to the lies you hear out there). There are many falsehoods spread around about it like "you'll get gout" and "you can't eat fruit or veggies". So not true. I eat TONS and TONS of veggies. Anyway, for those who have actually encorporated the diet into their lives beyond just a couple of weeks, what have been your results? Mine have been absolutely great.

Anthony
I agree with the fear mongering going on about low carb diets. So many mistruths spoken against low carbs. On the flip side, there are many low carb nazis out there too! They seem to think low carbs is the ONLY way to lose fat - it's not. There are many ways to skin a cat but low carbs work for many many people.

As far as Atkins, I don't agree with how he APPLIED the methods.

He seemed to think overall daily calories are NOT important - they are.
He recommended ANY type of fats - healthy fats would be a healthier choice.

But overall, you're right.

Lawstudent -
Hello there! I have stuck with a low carb diet for only a 3 weeks and there is nothing but good to say about it. This effective diet (incorporated with ALOT of excerise) has let me lose unwanted pounds. There are health scares with this diet and one way to avoid them is to drink plenty of water.

I have lost an awesome 13 pounds in 21 days and I feel fit and trimmed (although my belly refuses to go - check my question).

Cindy in Texas
I started Atkins program over 6 years ago & just wish I had started 20 years earlier. People think I eat all this meat & I've only had meat 2-3x in the past 7 months. I highly recommend chia seeds & ground flax seeds for the low carb lifestyle.

Atkins program is not the only way, but it is the best way for someone who is insulin resistant. With the advent of high fructose corn syrup, people are becoming insulin resistant in childhood now.

There is no better way to bring the body to the state of optimal health than with a low carb way of eating. Low carb doesn't cause high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, it cures it. It is actually dangerous to take meds that lower these levels and do low carb at the same time because the levels will become dangerously low. Carbohydrates trigger insulin. High insulin levels unbalance other hormones. Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day).

U.S. government guidelines were changed 35 years ago to suggest we lower our fat intake & increase our carb intake. American society followed these recommendations & lowered their fat intake by 11% & increased their carb consumption. In this same time frame obesity, diabetes, heart disease are all at epidemic levels.

A low carbohydrate diet is a high fat diet. The protein should only be a little higher than adequate. Although it is completely possible to live on a fat/protein only diet for long term (as proven by research done in a hospital setting) it becomes boring fairly quickly. Luckily many vegetables & some fruits, nuts & seeds are low in carbs & greatly expand the diet. Most long term low carbers eat as many, if not more non starchy vegetables than vegetarians.

Glucose is the bodies preferred fuel (if you want to get technical, it actually burns alcohol most efficiently, but that doesn't make it any healthier for the body than carbs), the body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein & 10% of dietary fat into glucose. The body can also be fueled by fat (dietary fat & fat cells) but only in the absence of carbs. The brain actually prefers* to be fueled by ketones (part of the fat burning process), it does require glucose also, but glucose can be easily converted from excess protein if needed or dietary fat. Fatty acids are the preferred substrate for the heart muscle.

Plaque build up in the arteries is more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, which seems to be the conclusion of the following study. Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque & glycation - the precursors to a heart attack & heart disease.

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/after-eating-effects-carbohydrates-vs.html

study from the Oxford group examining the postprandial (after-eating) effects of a low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate diet. (Roberts R et al, 2008)

Postprandial lipoproteins, you'd think, would be plentiful after ingesting a large quantity of fat, since fat must be absorbed via chylomicrons into the bloodstream. But it's carbohydrates that figure most prominently in determining the pattern and magnitude of postprandial triglycerides and lipoproteins. Much of this effect develops by way of de novo lipogenesis, the generation of new lipoproteins like VLDL after carbohydrate ingestion.

Gary Taubes who wrote "Good Calories, Bad Calories" spent 7 years going through all the studies over the last century & dividing up the real science from the faulty science & concluded that low carb was the best way to control insulin levels which balances out other hormones & allows the body to function properly.

His main points are:

1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic disease.

2. The problem is refined carbs in diet, their effect on insulin secretion & the hormonal regulation of homeostasis.

3. Sugars - sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup specifically - are particularly harmful, the combination of fructose & glucose simultaneously elevates insulin levels & overload liver with carbs.

4. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbs, starches, sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. They are likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's & other diseases.

5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating.

6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter.

7. Fattening & obesity are caused by an imbalance in the hormonal regulation of adipose tissue & fat metabolism.

8. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from fat tissue.

9. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbs make us fat.

10. By driving fat accumulation, carbs also increase hunger & decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism & physical activity.

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