It is finally here. A peer reviewed study of Dr. Atkin's diet.

The study has not yet been published, but is scheduled to come out soon. Here is the blurb from Duke Medical School.


Duke Health Briefs: Low-Carb Diet Effective In Research Study

DURHAM, N.C. – The high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet popularized by Dr. Robert Atkins has been the subject of heated debate in medical circles for three decades. Now, preliminary research findings at Duke University Medical Center show that a low-carbohydrate diet can indeed lead to significant and sustained weight loss.

There has recently been a resurgence of diets promoting low carbohydrate intake, but the scientific evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of these diets is limited. This is the first published scientific study of the popular low-carbohydrate Atkins diet in two decades, and research is continuing.

The study appears in the July 2002 issue of the American Journal of Medicine and was funded by an unrestricted grant from the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine.

“Study participants were put on a very low carbohydrate diet of 25 grams per day for six months,” said Eric Westman, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Duke and principal investigator of the study. “They could eat an unlimited amount of meat and eggs, as well as two cups of salad and one cup of low-carbohydrate vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower a day.”
Researchers found that 80 percent of the 50 enrolled patients adhered to the diet program for the duration of the study and lost an average of 10 percent of their original body weight. The average amount of weight lost per person was approximately 20 pounds.

“While we’re impressed with the weight loss of this diet, we still are not sure about the safety of it,” Westman said. “More studies need to be done in order to be confident about the long-term safety of this type of diet.”

For example, all participants developed ketonuria, the presence of measurable ketones in urine. The level seen in this study translates to roughly that of a non-dieting person if they didn’t eat for a couple of days, said Westman. “This is a finding that we need to learn more about. The level of ketones present was not terribly high, but we don’t know if this is safe or harmful to one’s health over a long period of time.”

The study further showed that patients’ cholesterol levels improved by the end of six months -- a finding that was unexpected, according to Westman.

“We were somewhat surprised to find that patients’ blood lipid profiles improved, even though there was much more fat in the diet,” he said. “We had thought the fat in the diet would increase the cholesterol.”

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that circulates in the blood stream and can accumulate to the point of blocking blood vessels and arteries. Having a high level of blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Although exercise was recommended, it was not a requirement for the study. Half of the subjects didn't exercise at all and still lost weight, according to the researchers.

Because of the intensity of this type of diet program, Westman cautions that “if someone has a medical problem or is taking medications, they should only do this diet under the supervision of a health care provider."

My first reaction is “Duh, we told you so.” And my second reaction is more of the same: if I didn’t know differently, I would suspect that the lead research doctor is quoting Dr. Atkin’s book and not a research study.

Now how can we get the National Egg Board and National meat associations to read and support this study, and get it into their ads!

<b>“We were somewhat surprised to find that patients’ blood lipid profiles improved, even though there was much more fat in the diet,” he said. “We had thought the fat in the diet would increase the cholesterol.” </b>

Do you think we could get the publisher to print this paragraph in <b>really big, bold type </b> ? Could we then glue it to the noses of every MD/dietician/etc who puts everyone with a cholesterol problem on a low-fat diet?

Thanks for posting that. Nice to read.

Unhappily, the critics will zero in on this one statement and totally disregard any other finding in the review.



Doreen

Of course most of the studies of statins were funded by the drug companies that make the stuff. Perhaps someone would say that very loudly in reply.

Actually, I have no problems with drug companies funding research into their medicines. They have been very successful in finding very useful medicines. Even the statins are useful, if you eat the carbo diet that passes for a balanced menu. They did the research, funded the studies, and are profiting from all of this very expensive speculation. The amount of very useful stuff that has come out of the drug company's labs is a modern miracle.

But, who funded the research really is a red herring, but how can other people see it as such, and then move on to the actual information in the study.

Doreen,

Unfortunately, Atkins has applied for several grants over the years to fund this type of research and they were all denied. This was held up in his face at the Great Nutrition Debate of 2000 by Ornish. He made fun of him for not having studies. And when Ornish said that Atkins had plenty of money himself, the audience applauded. It went like this:


17 DR. ORNISH: First of all, let me say that I would

18 love to see some data from Dr. Atkins showing that he can

19 actually get reversal of heart disease, measuring the

20 underlying disease process.

21 DR. ATKINS: We're working on it.

22 DR. ORNISH: Well good. I'd love to see it.

23 DR. ATKINS: We're not as good a fundraiser as you

24 are. We have to dig into our own pockets. That's the

25 problem.

p.122

1 DR. ORNISH: Carolyn, could I address that issue?

2 MS. O'NEIL: Yes.

3 DR. ORNISH: I think with the number of books

4 you've sold, you could probably fund your own studies,

5 but --

6 (Applause.)

Debate is at:
http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/Seminars/GND/Proceedings.txt

So Atkins is damned if he does and damned if he don't!

The little hyperlink to the right that says "Studies suggest Atkins diet is safe!" talked about this Westman study back in February. Link is here:

http://www.lowcarb.ca/articles/article148.html

I can 't wait until The American Journal of Medicine puts up their July issue. They currently have June 15 as the current issue.

Also, if you want to share the Duke Health Briefs link to this new research, it's here:

http://www.news.mc.duke.edu/news/article.php?id=5676

By the way, Dr. Eric Westman is a legitimate researcher. He's had at least 33 published studies since 1993.

This is the abstract:

Am J Med 2002 Jul;113(1):30-6 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

Effect of 6-month adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet program.

Westman EC, Yancy WS, Edman JS, Tomlin KF, Perkins CE.

Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University, 2200 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27705, USA. ewestman~duke.edu

To determine the effect of a 6-month very low carbohydrate diet program on body weight and other metabolic parameters. Fifty-one overweight or obese healthy volunteers who wanted to lose weight were placed on a very low carbohydrate diet (<25 g/d), with no limit on caloric intake. They also received nutritional supplementation and recommendations about exercise, and attended group meetings at a research clinic. The outcomes were body weight, body mass index, percentage of body fat (estimated by skinfold thickness), serum chemistry and lipid values, 24-hour urine measurements, and subjective adverse effects. Forty-one (80%) of the 51 subjects attended visits through 6 months. In these subjects, the mean (+/- SD) body weight decreased 10.3% +/- 5.9% (P <0.001) from baseline to 6 months (body weight reduction of 9.0 +/- 5.3 kg and body mass index reduction of 3.2 +/- 1.9 kg/m(2)). The mean percentage of body weight that was fat decreased 2.9% +/- 3.2% from baseline to 6 months (P <0.001). The mean serum bicarbonate level decreased 2 +/- 2.4 mmol/L (P <0.001) and blood urea nitrogen level increased 2 +/- 4 mg/dL (P <0.001). Serum total cholesterol level decreased 11 +/- 26 mg/dL (P = 0.006), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level decreased 10 +/- 25 mg/dL (P = 0.01), triglyceride level decreased 56 +/- 45 mg/dL (P <0.001), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level increased 10 +/- 8 mg/dL (P <0.001), and the cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio decreased 0.9 +/- 0.6 units (P <0.001). There were no serious adverse effects , but the possibility of adverse effects in the 10 subjects who did not adhere to the program cannot be eliminated. A very low carbohydrate diet program led to sustained weight loss during a 6-month period . Further controlled research is warranted

Further details about the study (didn't know if I should post the whole study or not)



These studies are sometimes hard to follow. This is saying that 14 people cheated during the first two weeks, 16 people cheated during the first 12 weeks, and 26 people had cheated by week 24.



I didn't expect daily calories to be this low because they were told that:



and they were recommended to eat 1905 calories per day:





They averaged 23 g carb per day.

They were also told to take Atkins Basic #3, Essential Oils, and a Diet formula supplement plus chromium, but only 18-20 people out of 41 took them everyday.



They were told to do 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week, but only half did it.



Ketonuria is just another word for ketosis. Everyone had ketones in the urine. Most had moderate to trace, 8 were purple, 13 were trace or less.



The level of ketosis (how purple) was suggestive of how well they stuck to the diet.



Two people didn't lose weight, but 39 did. Most people lost 10-15% of their weight. This looks like from the charts about 15-20 lbs each (but don't quote me). They suggest that those who adhered the best to the diet and stayed in ketosis lost the most weight.



The last sentence was saying that supplements and exercise had nothing to do with weight loss, only adherence to the diet did.

Hello Low Carb Friends!

You Atkids are going to *love* this press release out of Duke University! The title alone should immediately grab your attention: "Low-Carb Diet Effective in Research Study". In this press release researchers at Duke University report that a study of the Atkins diet shows"...a low-carbohydrate diet can indeed lead to significant and sustained weight loss." They placed subjects on a ketogenic, very low carb diet of less than 25 grams per day for 6 months. 80% of the participants stayed on the diet throughout the 6 months and they lost an average of 10% of their body weight which amounted to about 20 pounds. They also reported that cholesterol levels improved, much to the researchers surprise.

To read this easy-to-read press release, go here:
http://news.mc.duke.edu/news/article.php?id=5676

The abstract at the Amercican Journal of Medicine is here:
http://www.medicinedirect.com/journ...002934302011294

BTW, I have two other links to oldie-but-goodie LC study results from Duke University on my web site along with over 100 additional links to LC research that provides you with the information you need to educate your family, friends, physicians and other health care providers about the benefits of LCing. This collection includes prestigious sources such as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford University and major scientific publications such as American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

To access the collection, go to my web site at www.lowcarbsuccess.net and click on the RESEARCH button. The Duke studies are in the category "Ketosis & Ketogenic Diets."

Happy reading!

Laura Richard
Author of The Secret to Low Carb Success: How To Get The Most Out Of Your Low Carbohydrate Diet
www.lowcarbsuccess.net
Available through LowCarb.ca Bookstore

I recently went to my doctor about an unrelated allergy issue. While there, I requested that they test my thryoid because even on Atkins, I loose weight very slowly. When the nurse practitioner heard "Atkins" her eyebrows went up and she said,"Is that the high protein diet? You shouldn't be using that diet it's not good for your kidneys and no one loses weight on fad diets."
So when is someone going to be able to medically the kidney issue? Also, I don't think the majority of doctors read all the updated information on diet trends or way of life.

Isn't it amazing that these people have no qualms about advising people against a diet with out knowing what it could or couldn't do.
Just imagine if all the patients that went for a stomach bypass operation {of which there are more than two kinds}, were given the option of first trying to eat their way to a weight loss by following Dr, Atkins diet.
It appears that no body died on the program ,{ from being on the program,} but we all know some people have died from the effects of the stomach operation, haven't we?
Wasn't that just cruel that these people were not given the chance to find out if Atkins is for them or not?
I asked my Doctor for some help since I need to lose weight, and all he could say ways to go to a nutritionist or as one said "eat a balanced diet"
What does that mean?
I'm following Sugar Busters right now because it is the least restrictive, but I'm not loosing weight. So I'm thinking I want to try Atkins full swing, but I want a DR. To follow me with the required blood profile tests etc.
Certainly ,when I went on a protein shake diet with only one meal aday, that was approved by my my internst, and I had the usual follow up visits to make sure blood sugar was ok and cholesterol level okay.
So it is okay to starve yourself but eat good meats and cheese and eggs and some veggies and your going to kill yourself. All Because the diet was pronounced NO GOOD with no reasonable idea of how the diet works. perhaps this study will not just support Atkins diet, but a less stringent one being Sugar Busters, which allows for some fats.
Sugar seems to be the problem with many people and if they could adjust with Atkins, might they better save a leg or a body part? or have no reason to take insulin shots at all? The study needs to be done further to see how diabetics could be saved from the ravages of that horrible disease, merely by eating differently than the ADA claims.

In addition they say nothing about how many people can go on to eat fruit, other low glycemic veggies with out hindering their health with a continued form of Dr. Atkins. program.

Shame on them all for their lack of scientific inquieries.
One more thing: I know of a family who had a 13 yr old son that was 50 pounds overweight and became a diabetic. They were lucky enough to find a doctor who prepare the kid for eating a restricted diet. Dr. Atkins program. He said to the kid, you can have all the burgers you want with cheese and steak, but no french fries, whipped cream with strawberries; but no sugar and no soda;You can have brocoli with real butter, egg omellettes with cheese, bacon, but no home fries and no bread. Do you think you can do that for me for 2 weeks?
The child has lost the 50 pounds and eats as much broccoli with butter as he wants, eats eggs, steak, bacon, pork chops,etc, which is all REAL FOOD. Nothing processed!!
He has regained his self esteem and is not a diabetic any longer, and considers himself "allergic to sugar and carbs" much like the kids who can't have peanut butter.
No happier story ever told!!!
I wish I could see that doctor!!

I applaud you jujubaby. My sentiments exactly.
I think all doctors should have to give us a profile of what kind of diet they are pro or con to and let us decide if we want to continue seeing them. It seems there are few and far between, t doctors that advocate lo-carb lifestyle. Even though they can see for themselves that people who are trying to lose wait can't seem to maintain on a low-fat diet. You should have seen my waiting room the other day. 7 out of the 10 that were there were obviously overweight. I wonder what advice is being given them. Oh and I forgot. The Nurse practitioner that saw me could stand to lose 30 or so pounds.... So how can she pretend to give me advice

As far as the kidney issue, unfortunately, there are medical studies that say that it has been proven that very high protein diets can damage the kidneys. These were not tested on the Atkins diet however.

It should be noted that if someone is doing Atkins properly, they will not be eating a very high protein diet. Atkins is essentially 65% fat/ 30% protein/5% carbohydrate. This is not too much protein unless someone overdoes the protein ratio by trying to avoid eating fat.

The Protein Power diet addresses the protein issue more directly. It makes you calculate your minimum protein requirement so that you limit your protein to this amount which can deter someone from accidentally overworking their kidneys.

It is important to prevent kidney damage from high protein diets by drinking the recommended amounts of water and by keeping hydrated by taking daily potassium supplements. These two things are the most essential formula for protecting your kidneys.

Until actual long-term research is done on low-carb diet's effect on kidneys, we really won't have the definitive answer.

I've always hear the opposite. Do you have a link to one of the studies you are referring to?

I am a RN and worked with Dialysis for 2 years. I started Adkins while working with acute Dialysis patients. I asked our Nephrologist at that time if a high protein diet would harm my kidneys. He said that high protein would not harm the kidneys in a healthy person with fully functioning kidneys. Now, if you have any form of kidney disease then protein should be limited. This just stresses the importance of consulting your MD and drinking adequate water.