High triglyceride levels in your blood usually "plummet" during your first month on the Atkins diet, according to "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution." The late Dr. Robert Atkins wrote that dramatically cutting the carbohydrates you eat causes this decline. The reduction in triglycerides, which are fats in your blood, is important because a triglyceride level "above 100 (mg per dL) increases the risk of heart disease," Atkins wrote.
Huge Drops In Triglycerides
The Atkins diet is based on the premise that the starch in carbohydrates causes body fat. The stored fat consists of triglycerides. Substituting high-fat, high-protein foods for high-carbohydrate foods reduces body fat and triglycerides, according to Atkins. Dieters should lose between 40 to 80 percent of their triglycerides, reported "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution." You should get your triglycerides and cholesterol tested before beginning the diet, and retest them six weeks later to make sure the plan is working, Atkins wrote.
Foods That Reduce Triglycerides
Atkins recommends that you eat high-fat foods to reduce your triglycerides, because they cause "virtually no blood sugar elevation," the primary cause of stored fat, in Atkins' opinion. Harry Kronberg, an Atkins patient, cut his triglycerides from 134 to 31mg per dL in three months "while eating freely of meat, fish, fowl and eggs." He typically ate grilled chicken for lunch and rib steak for dinner. Atkins opposes cutting calories to reduce high triglycerides.
Foods That Increase Triglycerides
You should not eat foods with high-glycemic-index scores that increase triglycerides, according to the Atkins diet. The glycemic index measures how fast the carbohydrates of a specific food are converted into blood sugar. The highest, and worst, possible score is 100.
The Atkins diet's reliance on the glycemic index means that many foods which are considered healthy by many medical experts are unhealthy according to Atkins. They include most cereals (corn flakes has an 84 GI score), most breads (bagels score 72), white rice (88), bananas (52), pineapples (66), watermelons (72), carrots (71) and potatoes (85).
The Insulin Connection
High triglycerides correlate with high levels of insulin, according to Atkins. This correlation exists even in childhood, he wrote. Too much insulin is caused by excessive carbohydrates, but "makes you crave sweets and carbs" so you eat even more carbs, reported "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution." Eventually, excessive insulin causes diabetes.
Atkins urges people with high triglycerides and insulin to stop eating foods loaded with carbohydrates, including candy, flour, fruits with simple sugars, fruit juices, honey, milk, and "processed and refined foods of all kinds."
Nutritional Supplements
Atkins advocates mineral supplements and vitamins instead of prescription drugs to cure a host of medical problems, including high triglycerides. He recommends omega-3 oils and L-carnitine for high triglycerides. Because there is a connection between insulin and triglycerides, he also recommends that people with high triglycerides take nutrients for diabetics, including biotin, chromium, magnesium, selenium, vanadyl sulfate and zinc.
The Atkins Controversy
Atkins' theories about what causes high triglycerides are disputed by many medical experts. According to the Feb. 26, 2009 "New England Journal of Medicine," you should restrict your intake of foods with cholesterol and saturated fat and cut your calorie intake to reduce your triglycerides. The researchers did not find any connection between carbohydrate intake and triglycerides.
References
- "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution"; Dr. Robert Atkins; 2002
- "Atkins Diabetes Revolution"; Dr. Robert Atkins, Mary Vernon and Jacqueline Eberstein; 2004
- "Essentials for Health and Wellness"; Gordon Edlin, Eric Golanty, Kelli McCormack Brown; 2000
- "Controlling Cholesterol"; Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper; 1989
- National Institutes of Health News: Reduced-Calorie Diets Promote Long-term Weight Loss
