The Atkins diet has been controversial since Dr. Robert Atkins' diet books became popular in the 1970s. While the U.S. government and health-related organizations such as the American Heart Association advocated low-fat diets, Atkins claimed low-carbohydrate diets were healthier. On Aug. 2, 2010, Annals of Internal Medicine reported that people's good cholesterol levels rose 23 percent in two years after going on a "low-carb diet modeled after the Atkins' plan" and only 12 percent after going on a low-fat diet.
Theory
Body fat is caused by a rise in blood sugar, according to "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution." The fat and protein in foods causes respectively "virtually no" and "very little" elevation in blood sugar. Carbohydrates, however, do cause blood sugar, to increase, and the excess blood sugar is converted into fat. The glycemic index determines which carbohydrates cause a lot of body fat and which don't by measuring "how fast glucose enters your bloodstream after a specific food is eaten."
Significance
Whether carbohydrates, fat or proteins cause body fat is significant because obesity increases your risk of heart disease and early death, according to "An Invitation to Health," a college textbook. The study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reported that two groups of people on the low-carb and low-fat diets monitored by the Temple University Center for Obesity Research and Education lost the same amount of weight--15 lbs. There were "no major differences" in the two groups' health except for the low-carb dieters' better good, or HDL, cholesterol levels.
Identification
Many high-fat foods discouraged by other diets are encouraged by the Atkins diet because they have few carbohydrates. Fish, meat and poultry have only a trace of carbohydrates, according to the Carbohydrate Gram Counter in Atkins' book. Eggs and most cheeses have less than 1 g of fat per serving. Many low-fat cereals, breads, pasta, beans, fruits and vegetables are discouraged because they have lots of carbs, including bagels, with 38 g of carbs per serving; bananas, 23.7 g; corn flakes, 24.2 g; navy beans, 23.9 g; potatoes, 22.4 g; and spaghetti, 19.8 g.
Fruits and Vegetables
Only fruits and vegetables with low-glycemic index scores are encouraged on Atkins' diet. "Since there is no single standard glycemic index, the numbers may vary in different versions, but the relative order of foods on the various indexes is pretty consistent," according to "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution." You shouldn't eat potatoes, which have an 85 score on the index Atkins uses; carrots, 71; watermelons, 72; pineapples, 66; and bananas, 52. You should eat cherries, 22; plums, 24; grapefruits, 25; peaches, 28; and many vegetables with a score below 20, including broccoli, cabbage, celery, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, spinach and zucchini.
Feature
You can eat only 20 g of carbs daily in the first two weeks of Atkins' diet. Breads, fruits, grains, pasta and starchy vegetables are banned. Later, though, you can eat foods on the diet's nine-step "Carbohydrate Ladder" feature one week at a time. Salads and nonstarchy vegetables can be eaten in Week 1. You can add fresh cheeses, nuts, berries, wine, beans, fruits other than berries, starchy vegetables and whole grains in weeks 2 through 9, but you should always limit high glycemic-index foods.
References
- "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution"; Dr. Robert Atkins; 2002
- "Atkins Diabetes Revolution"; Dr. Robert Atkins, Mary Vernon and Jacqueline Eberstein; 2004
- "An Invitation to Health"; Dianne Hales; 2003
- The Associated Press: Low-Carb Diet Trumps Low-Fat on 'Good' Cholesterol
- "The South Beach Diet"; Dr. Arthur Agatston; 2003
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