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Weight Loss Information from experts |
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Atkins Diet -- The Final Verdict
Supporters of the Atkins Diet claim that a low carbohydrate diet is a safe and effective method for losing weight. This article evaluates the low carbohydrate diet and specifically the claims made about ketosis. The Low Carb-Ketosis Link By severely limiting carbohydrates in your diet, the main energy source used by your body, glucose, drops to low levels. In return, insulin levels also drop. With low glucose and low insulin levels, the body turns to alternative sources of energy. Because of a significant change in your body's chemistry when on the Atkins Diet, certain metabolic pathways are turned "on" that are normally not "on" or run at very low levels. One such pathway involves the breakdown of fat, called Beta-Oxidation of Fats. Now, normally fats are broken down to produce energy when your body senses a need. But in the context of a low Carb diet, the normal breakdown pathway of fats is altered and an alternative pathway kicks in. This alternative pathway produces what are called ketone bodies. Ketosis is the term used to describe when ketone bodies are circulating in your bloodstream. The ketone bodies can be used as alternative sources of energy by, most importantly, your brain. In case you might be curious, the three ketone bodies produced by this alternative pathway for breaking down fat are acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone. These ketone bodies are formed in your liver and then are transported to other tissues, mainly the brain. In your brain, they are converted back to a form that can provide direct energy during times of starvation. Here is the whole process... So, the Atkins Diet (and any low Carb diet) produces a low energy state (low glucose) that causes the breakdown fat using an alternative pathway that leads to the development of ketosis. So far it sounds pretty good. By limiting Carbs in your diet, you can essentially force your body into breaking down stored fat, the very thing you need to get rid of to lose weight. But there are problems... Atkins Diet and Toxicity Ketone bodies are toxic. Many supporters of low Carb diets claim that ketosis is safe. They state that they are natural byproducts of fat breakdown and even babies have high levels of circulating ketone bodies. First, they are not natural by-products of fat metabolism. The normal beta-oxidation of fats does produce ketone bodies but these are incorporated into the normal cycle of energy production, called the Krebs cycle. When ketone bodies are circulating in your bloodstream, it signals an abnormal physiologic state, called starvation. They are not incorporated into the normal energy cycle, the Krebs cycle, and spill into the bloodstream. Just because your body has the ability to transport ketone bodies to certain tissues and then use them for energy, does not make it a normal process. It is an alternative pathway that turns "on" only when your body is faced with depleted levels of the main energy source, glucose. Secondly, babies are not small adults. A baby's liver and brain tissue are made up of different chemicals and pathways, specifically geared to handle the high fat diet coming from mother's milk. These pathways change as a baby grows and starts to eat other foods. Eventually, the normal adult pathways are set up and the infantile chemistry used as evidence to support the safety of ketosis, stop working. But this is not even related to the fact that ketone bodies are toxic. In medicine, the three ketone bodies mentioned above are classified as toxic acidic chemicals. At high levels, they can cause your blood to become too acidic, a disease state called ketoacidosis. Granted, this is rare because most of the ketone bodies will be used by the brain as an energy source. Ketoacidosis is usually seen in type 1 diabetics. It is a medical emergency. So, is ketosis dangerous to your body? Yes and no. Yes, ketosis represents a state of starvation. Losing weight when the body thinks you're starving is the best way to guarantee weight regain. The weight will come back and come back as fat. No, ketosis will not cause ketoacidosis in non-diabetics. And as long as you have a large storage of fat, your brain will not starve for energy. The Final Verdict However, it is well known that microscopic damage can occur to the kidneys effecting their ability to filter the blood. But clinical signs of this damage may take several years to manifest. Chronic renal insufficiency is a concern for ketogenic dieters, which may cause problems in the years to come. Conclusion Atkins Diet and other ketogenic diets (low Carb) can be safe and effective in causing weight loss. However, I recommend keeping ketosis to a minimum and keep your carbohydrate intake above 50 grams a day. Don't follow the suggestions for reaching an "induction" phase. It's not necessary to turn "on" the alternative pathways described above and burn fat. Remember, healthy weight loss is to burn fat and fat only. But it also involves keeping your rate of weight loss around 2-3 pounds/week. The induction phase promoted by the Atkins Diet can result in a rate of weight loss far greater than 2-3 pounds/week. It may sound good to you now, but how does gaining it all back as fat sound? Because that will happen if you lose weight too fast. For more information on ways to experience healthy weight loss, visit To Healthy Living! Dr. Michael A. Smith Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant to Diet Basics, a content rich weight loss site dedicated to all dieters fighting to lose weight. Please visit his site at...Diet Basics
MORE RESOURCES: Why Weight-Loss Drugs Alone Won’t Make Us Healthy Time Magazine Higher doses of semaglutide can safely enhance weight loss for adults living with obesity, clinical trials confirm Medical Xpress Processed Foods That Can Support Weight Loss Healthline Higher dose of semaglutide increases weight loss, metabolic benefits: Newsroom UT Southwestern Medical Center Inside Kathy Bates' Weight Loss Journey: Everything the Actress Has Said About Her Health People.com Do ultra-processed foods help or hinder weight loss? British Heart Foundation High dose of Wegovy drives weight loss to 19% pharmaphorum Q&A: TRICARE For Life Coverage of Weight Loss Medications TRICARE Newsroom (.mil) Popular Weight-Loss Drugs Like Ozempic Pose Hidden Risks for Young Women, Warn Researchers SciTechDaily Half Of Ozempic Weight-Loss Users Drop The Drug Within A Year Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Half Of Ozempic Weight-Loss Users Drop The Drug Within A Year Griffin Daily News High doses of "Wegovy" are more effective for weight loss but cause more side effects - study Українські Національні Новини Half Of Ozempic Weight-Loss Users Drop The Drug Within A Year Indiana Gazette Online Triple-strength 'mega-dose' of weight loss jab could soon be available after breakthrough trial LADbible Fighting the obesity challenge: Lancet study says higher doses of weight loss drugs can safely reduce body weight faster The Indian Express We Asked Registered Dietitians the Best Tea for Visceral Fat Loss—and They All Picked the Same One EatingWell Illegal weight-loss jabs being sold on TikTok ‘not approved for humans’; UK Regulators issue urgent warni Times of India Low investor expectation for Novo's study testing its weight loss drug in Alzheimer's disease, Leerink says TradingView Shocking! Half of weight-loss drug users quit within a year Times of India They’ve Dropped the Weight. But What About the Skin? The New York Times Woman who lost 50 kgs shares 10 weight loss secrets from her fitness journey: ‘Strong urges to eat may appear but…’ | Health Hindustan Times Why Half of Weight Loss Drug Users Quit Within a Year ScienceBlog.com Half Of Users Quit Weight-Loss Drug In A Year: Study Warns Against Quick-Fix Solutions - NDTV Profit Weight loss drugs protect heart patients, study suggests Harvard Gazette Popular Weight Loss Hormone Triggers Brain Chaos in Rare Disease ScienceBlog.com I'm a dietitian who helps busy parents lose weight without restrictive diets. Here are 12 Trader Joe's buys I swear by. Business Insider Novo Nordisk Increases Dosage in Weight Loss Drug Test, Showing Improvement but Still Behind Eli Lilly's Rival Drug AASTOCKS.com Clear Protein vs. Whey: Which Is Better for Weight Loss, Digestion, and Muscle Building? Verywell Health One in Seven Bariatric Surgery Patients Turn to New Weight Loss Drugs Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health FTC Sends Refunds to Consumers Harmed by Weight-loss Supplement Marketer’s Deceptive Claims and Review Practices Federal Trade Commission (.gov) TRICARE Coverage of Weight Loss Medications: What To Know TRICARE Newsroom (.mil) FDA Chief Says Hims’ Weight-Loss Drug Ad Breached Agency’s Rules Bloomberg Law News Half Of Ozempic Weight-Loss Users Drop The Drug Within A Year The Herald Palladium Arnold Schwarzenegger's son Christopher displays toned physique in shirtless photos after 30lb weight loss HELLO! Magazine Popular diabetes and weight-loss drug may reduce risk of dementia Case Western Reserve University Cysteine restriction plays key role in weight loss National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov) Dr. Kells’ Weight Loss ignites a 90-pound weight loss journey FOX21 News Colorado Is microdosing the answer to costly weight loss drugs? thenationalnews.com The truth about pink salt and weight loss Missouri State University Urgent warning over illegal weight loss jabs ‘not approved for humans’ offered for sale on TikTok AOL.com |
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