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Atkins Diet Program and Health
Concerns About Kidneys, Nutrition and Fat Intake of High Protein Diets
Weight Loss Diet Info - Guide to Weight Reduction

Atkins Diet and Health

Despite the enormous popularity of this high-protein low-carb weight loss diet, some health concerns remain. Here are some of the health issues raised by the Atkins diet critics.

Atkins Type Diet - Kidneys Health Concern

Due to the strain placed on the kidneys by excessive protein, high protein diets are not recommended for anyone with kidney problems.

Atkins Type Diet - Nutrition Health Concern

The US Department of Agriculture, in its review of popular diets, found that high-fat, low-carb diets are low in vitamins E, A, thiamin, B6 foliate, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium.

Atkins Type Diet - Loss of Calcium Health Concern

Diets high in protein can accelerate calcium loss from the body and may increase risk of osteoporosis.

Atkins Type Diet - Saturated Fat Health Concern

Because animal protein is typically bound up with saturated fat, unless careful food choices are made it's easy to eat too much saturated fat - the type of fat which is strongly linked with raised cholesterol.

Nutrition Australia has described the Atkins diet as unsuitable for use in either the short or long term, and the USA Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine in its 2001 review of diets gave the Atkins diet no stars - an 'unsafe' rating, describing high-protein diets as 'dangerous over the long run'.

The recent death of a 16 year old girl while on Day 8 of the Atkins Diet is hopefully not the direct result of Atkins eating.

For more information on Atkins Diet, see also:

Atkins Diet Program
Atkins Diet Plan

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