A popular fad diet, the Atkins diet focuses on eating foods high in protein while lowering carbohydrate intake. In recent years, research has shown that the Atkins diet may help improve an individual's risk for heart disease and diabetes and improve glycemic control in diabetic individuals.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that affects the body's ability to produce or use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone needed by the body in order to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy. Whether or not an individual is at risk for diabetes depends on that individual's genetic disposition and diet.
The Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet was created by the late Dr. Robert Atkins. On the diet, foods high in protein, such as meats, fish and eggs, are allowed liberally, but foods rich in carbohydrates such as grains, potatoes and fruits are avoided. Salad, vegetables and dairy products are also allowed and required, but consumption is limited.
Weight Loss
A 2005 study by Temple University School of Medicine revealed that the Atkins diet may help individuals with Type II diabetes lose weight. According to Guenther Boden, M.D., the lead researcher in the study, carbohydrates caused excessive overeating in obese, diabetic patients. Specifically, when carbohydrates were eliminated from the patients' diets, they ate approximately 1,000 fewer calories, which allowed them to lose weight.
Other Benefits
The subjects in the 2005 Temple University School of Medicine study also had lower cholesterol, improved glucose levels and insulin sensitivity in addition to weight loss. Because carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels, low-carb diets improve the body's ability to process sugar. Additional research by David J. A. Jenkins, M.D., of St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto also suggested that a low-glycemic diet manages glycemic control for Type ll diabetics better than a high-fiber diet based on carbohydrates.
Risks
Because a high-protein diet can stress the kidneys and result in low sugar levels that may induce a diabetic coma, some experts warn that diabetics should use caution on the Atkins diet. According to Nancy Dame, a registered dietitian at Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital in Ohio, low-carb diets like the Atkins diet put diabetics at dangerously low blood-sugar levels, which may cause the individual to pass out, develop tremors or go into a diabetic coma.
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