If you are hypokalemic, your potassium levels are low. Hypokalemia is of concern to dieters following the Atkins Diet because the high-protein, high-fat and low carbohydrate regimen produces a diuretic effect, which can lead to dehydration and concomitant loss of electrolytes, including sodium, calcium and potassium. You generally can avoid or reverse potassium deficiency while following Atkins via supplements and careful food choices.
Atkins Theory
Dr. Robert Atkins introduced his diet in the 1970s. It relies on the body's ability to switch from burning stored carbohydrates for energy to burning fat for energy when deprived of additional carbohydrates in the diet. Atkins has cycled in and out of popularity over the ensuing decades, enjoying its latest resurgence following Gary Taubes' 2002 article in "The New York Times," headlined "What If It's All Been a Big, Fat Lie?" In it, Taubes blamed many Americans' diets of high-carbohydrate, high-fat, processed foods for the nation's steadily increasing obesity rates, prompting a low-carb fad that had yet to fade completely by 2011.
Atkins Diuresis
Atkins dieters begin the four-stage regimen with the induction phase, a 14-day period during which they consume fewer than 20 g of carbohydrates per day -- about the amount contained in a single flour tortilla or a medium baked potato. Under these conditions, it takes the body about two days to burn through its reserves of glycogen, the carbohydrates stored in the liver and muscles, and switch to burning fat. Each gram of glycogen holds on to about four additional grams of water, according to Mayo Clinic; this water is released as a byproduct, producing a diuretic effect.
Aggravating Factors
In his book "Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution," Dr. Atkins advises dieters to drink plenty of water to counteract the diuresis and to avoid caffeine and alcohol -- prohibited during induction, anyway -- because they can lead to further dehydration. In addition, he notes that dieters who relied on high-sodium processed foods prior to beginning the regimen may experience additional water loss due to drastically reduced sodium intake. Sweating from hot weather or intense exercise can compound the effect.
"The median weight loss from two weeks doing induction is 10 lbs. for overweight males and 6 lbs. for overweight females," he writes. "On any weight loss program, the first weight lost is water weight. Atkins is a particularly effective diuretic, so the water weight tends to come off fast on my program."
Hypokalemia Symptoms
One frequently discussed symptom of "induction flu," the colloquial name for a constellation of complaints some Atkins dieters experience during the first few days of induction, is leg cramps, which can be a direct result of electrolyte loss and of potassium loss, in particular. Other symptoms of hypokalemia include fatigue, heart dysrhythmias and constipation. Severe hypokalemia, although rare, can be dangerous or even deadly. (Ref. 3)
Avoiding Hypokalemia
Adults should take in about 2,000 mg of potassium per day, according to the University of Maryland Medical center. Dr. Atkins recommends dieters take a multivitamin and mineral supplement and add potassium supplements if necessary to alleviate cramps. Potassium supplements sold over the counter in the United States were limited to 99 mg per dose as of 2011, but your doctor can prescribe a higher-dose supplement if appropriate. You also can obtain additional potassium during induction by consuming high-potassium, Atkins-approved foods such as avocado; beet, collard and mustard greens; spinach; and chard.
References
- "The New York Times"; What If It's All Been a Big, Fat Lie?; Gary Taubes; July 2002
- "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution"; Robert C. Atkins, M.D.; 2002
- MedlinePlus: Hyopkalemia
- MayoClinic.com; Getting Past a Weight-loss Plateau; March 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Potassium
- University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers; High Potassium Food List; October 2007
