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Saturated fat in the typical American diet may have a corrleation to high LDLs, but Atkins has been known to lower LDLs, so it's all good.
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Saturated fat raises both HDL and LDL, so it comes out about even. What lowers HDL is vegetable oils and tranfats have a horrible impact on cardiac profiles. Even so, I saw the recommendation on the AHA website not that long ago to substitute margarine for butter.
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I've been talking to some folks at an anti-Atkins forum, and they really seem stuck on the fact that several medical associations (American Heart Association, American Kidney Fund, etc.) have issued statements warning people of risks in eating low-carb.
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I know a lot of people get hung up on this, but they have to realize that these are
associations. They issue opinions and positions, but do very little research of their own. They are, in fact, basing their opinions in this case on old and now known to be inaccurate studies which are based on high carb AND high fat, not fat in a diet that is restricted in carbs.
I do find myself wondering what these people think of the studies that have been done so far on low carb, some of them by scientists who set out to prove that low carb is harmful, that have shown more improvement in cardiac profiles than the standard AHA diet.
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Speaking of water, what do people mean when they say that weight loss is really just water loss? I know that stress on your body (beginning a diet) can have a diuretic effect, but that water loss can only be attributed to the first week or so.
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That's exactly it. The first few pounds
on any diet are generally water, but on low carb the loss of weight after that is more fat and less muscle than those low calorie, low fat diets that are also generally deficient in protein. Unless you have other very serious medical issues going on, nobody is walking around carrying 50+ lbs. of excess water weight and if they were carrying around that much water retention, they wouldn't be walking around...they'd be in the hospital on some serious diuretics!
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The AKF is concerned that too much protein leads to dehydration risks. Well, my protein intake is less than what the AKF says is dangerous, plus I drink tons of water.
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If that were true, then body-builders, who consume huge quantities of protein, would all be keeling over from kidney disease, dehydration and kidney failure. They're not. In fact, studies have been done on body builders looking for problems related to their high protein intake. None were found.
As for the anti-low carb group on the low carb board...challenge them. Ask them to post studies (not opinions, positions, etc..)...honest to goodness
studies (preferably peer-reviewed) that show that what they are saying is indeed
fact and not opinion. Caution them also that those studies have to involve subjects with a low carbohdyrate intake or they are not valid when discussing low carb. A fat burning metabolism is very different and has different effects on the body than a primarily glucose burning metabolism.