Authors
Forster H.
Title
[Is the Atkins diet safe
in respect to health?]. [German]
Source
Fortschritte der Medizin. 96(34):1697-702, 1978 Sep 14.
Abstract
The "Atkins dietary
revolution" is a ketogenic diet consisting almost
exclusively of food from animal origin. A similar diet was
introduced as the "Banting diet" more than
a century ago by the English physician Harvey. This
carbohydrate-free diet is high in fat, cholesterol and
purines. The measurable ketosis is a precondition for
the effect of this kind of diet. However,
the predictable hyperlipacidemia and ketosis are recognized
health risks. Additionally, hypercholesterolemia is to be expected in a
greater part of the adherents to such a
diet. Even children under ketogenic diet
develop hypercholesterolemia within a short time. A similar high-fat
diet, known as the Sippy
diet for ulcer therapy, was found earlier
to cause an increased incidence in coronary heart disease. On
the basis of the known facts
the Atkins diet seems to
be potentially hazardous to health, unless a controlled study is performed.
However, considering the risks it seems very problematic to
perform such a study.