From: hal@finney.org
Date: Thu Nov 25 1999 - 10:31:54 MST
James Daugherty, <daugh@home.msen.com>, writes:
> Testimonial:
>
> Lost 25 lbs in about 6 weeks [255-230 lbs@ 6'1" 55 age] following
> the Adkins diet.
>
> Any of you nutrition science wizards out there have any warnings I
> should be considering?
The Atkins diet is an extremely low carb diet which throws your body into
a state called ketosis. Here is a comment by Curt Adams from April 1998:
> This actually does work. When you eat virtually no carbohydrates
> your citric acid cycle fails and your body switches to an alternate
> fat oxidation system. Your body has to ship large quantities of fats
> in ketones around in the blood. Since your kidney lack the ability to
> retain these, they get lost in the urine. The situation resembles that
> of somebody with advanced diabetes, although this kind of ketosis won't
> kill you directly.
>
> You can lose weight like crazy on this plan. You will also be physically
> weak, often nauseous, and you will smell like nail polish remover.
> If you go on the diet and then off it, you will gain back all you lost.
> If you stay on it, you'll subject your body indefinitely to a metabolic
> regime it's manifestly not adapted for. Research on the long-term
> safety of ketotic diets is zilch, which I consider inexcusable given
> than Dr. Atkins has been pushing this diet for 25 years. Not even a
> rodent study! Dr. Atkins' diet may be a good thing, but he is a quack.
How was your experience on the diet? Did you get very hungry? How about
your overall levels of health and well-being?
Hal
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