1. The Insulin Factor
There is no doubt that the Atkins diet and diabetes are intimately linked, as carbohydrates, which are turned to sugar in the body, increase the production if insulin which can aggravate or even cause type-II diabetes. Even though the Atkins diet increases your intake of fats, the high intake of protein helps to curb appetite, helping you to eat less and lose weight while reducing the roller coaster ride of insulin production. Additionally, some people feel that the Atkins diet helps to curb sugar cravings caused by dives and spikes in insulin levels.
2. Curbing Your Carbs
The rules of the Atkins diet require that you begin by reducing your carbohydrates to only 20 grams each day, cutting fruits, grains and many vegetables from your daily meals. However, when using the Atkins diet for diabetes cutting your carbohydrate intake so drastically may have detrimental effects. Complex carbohydrates such as grains, beans, fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps to aid in digestion and elimination and even helps the body to remove fat and cholesterol from the blood stream. Because high cholesterol and digestive problems are common problems for diabetics, 20 grams of healthy carbohydrates may actually cause a rise in some of the more dangerous symptoms of diabetes.
3. The Dirty Truth
Unfortunately, diabetes and the Atkins diet bring other risks as well. While lowering your insulin levels is important in controlling your condition, cutting carbohydrates too much can cause insulin to reach dangerously low levels, causing fainting, tremors and even diabetic coma. Because diabetics are already at a great risk for kidney disease, the diet should be performed with extreme caution. Additionally, while the Atkins diet has proven to bring rapid weight loss, it isn't all fat loss but also loss of muscle tissue and even heart tissue.
4. Caring for Your Kidneys
In essence, the Atkins diet is a high-protein diet, which in moderation is not necessarily a bad thing; however, excess protein in the diet stresses the kidneys and may increase your risks for kidney disease, particularly if you have a history of kidney problems. Additionally, high protein diets increase ketones in the body which suppress appetite, but may also cause bad breath, excessive water weight loss, gas, heart disease and kidney disease.
5. Know Your Limits
The bottom line is that the Atkins diet may be helpful for diabetics only if used moderately and under the supervision of a doctor. By no means should a diabetic reduce carbohydrates to 20 grams a day, as suggested for beginning the diet, however, a slight reduction in carbohydrates, particularly simple carbohydrates such as candy, snack foods and refined flours, can surely help to stabilize insulin. The best option, as always, is to consult your doctor to determine your personal limits and to ensure success without harming your health.
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