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Atkins Diet: Trouble Keeping It Up

A case report in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly Journal of the American Dietetic Association) of a man who went on the Atkins diet, lost his ability to have an erection, and nearly lost his life.

February 1, 2012 |
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Atkins Diet: Trouble Keeping It Up, 4.8 out of 5 based on 4 ratings

Sources Cited

Barnett TD, Barnard ND, Radak TL. Development of symptomatic cardiovascular disease after self-reported adherence to the Atkins diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Jul;109(7):1263-5.

Acknowledgements

Transcript

Remember the Atkins Diet? I wrote a book about it a few years ago.  The Atkins Corporation threatened to sue me, but I kind of won by default, because they declared bankruptcy six months later. You can read the whole book and my rather amusing back-and-forth with Atkins' lawyers at http://atkinsexposed.org/.

Here's an illustrative case report of what can happen when you go on such a diet, reported recently in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association: "Development of symptomatic cardiovascular disease after self-reported adherence to the Atkins diet".

Started out healthy, 51-year-old man; pretty good cholesterol, no chest pain, and a working penis. He was gaining a few pounds, though, so he decided to go on a low-carb diet. One month in, his cholesterol shot through the roof, but hey, he lost five pounds, so, he kept it up. And after two years more on the diet, he lost three pounds, but he also lost the ability to have an erection.  And he started having chest pains. But hey, that's what drugs are for, so he started taking Viagra, one of the wonders of modern medicine, which also came in handy when he landed in the emergency room with crushing chest pain.

He got a cardiac catheterization which found a 99% blockage of one of his coronary arteries supplying blood to his heart. Luckily, they found it in time. He got a drug-eluding stent placed.

He was eventually discharged from the hospital and finally decided, maybe this Atkins thing isn't such a great idea, so he switched to a low-fat diet with greens, whole grains, beans, vegetables, nuts, and even (gasp!) the inclusion of vegetarian entrees. Two months on the new diet, his weight was down, his cholesterol was down, and he stopped taking the Viagra.

Now, a skeptic might suggest that he had clogged arteries before he even started the low-carb diet. But no, he actually got a coronary artery scan right before starting on Atkins and there was no measurable plaque in his coronary arteries. And then just 29 months later, after the initiation of the low-card diet, 99% blockage. Now they were able to open that surgically with a stent, but it took his changing to a more healthy diet to open up blood flow to other parts of his body.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is transcript contributed by Bruce A. Hamilton.

To help out on the site please email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org

Dr. Michael Greger

Doctor's Note

Please feel free to post any ask-the-doctor type questions here in the comments section and I’d be happy to try to answer them. Be sure to check out all the other videos on the Atkins diet and don't miss the other videos on erectile dysfunction. And there are 1,449 subjects covered in the rest of my videos–please feel free to explore them!

Also, be sure to check out my associated blog posts: The Most Anti-Inflammatory Mushroom, Watermelon for Erectile Dysfunction, Atkins Diet and Erectile Dysfunction, Stool Size and Breast Cancer Risk, Plant-Based Workplace Intervention, and  The Real Paleo Diet

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

    Please feel free to post any ask-the-doctor type questions here in the comments section and I’d be happy to try to answer them. Be sure to check out all the other videos on the Atkins diet and don’t miss the other videos on erectile dysfunction. And there are 1,449 subjects covered in the rest of my videos–please feel free to explore them!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

    I know some people will comment that support the paleolithic diet/atkins diet and try to tout the benefits and “science” behind it. So before someone does, please read Dr. Greger’s free e-book ‘Atkin’s Exposed’ with over 1,100 references.
    http://www.atkinsexposed.org/

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/TanTruong/ Tan Truong

    If you don’t care about your health, think of the blood flow to other parts of your body. :)

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/bpcveg/ BPC

    I am having trouble teasing apart some of the differences between the Atkins diet and the whole foods plant-based approach that you advocate.

    Specifically, it seems possible to be both vegan and follow a low carbohydrate (Atkins-like approach)…isn’t that what the eco-Atkins diet is all about?

    For example, one could eat a whole foods plant-based (vegan) diet emphasizing low carbohydrate and high fat foods like nuts, seeds and avocado. Thus, one would gain the advantages of high antioxidants present in these foods while ingesting relatively low quantities of toxins, cholesterol and saturated fats. By emphasizing these high fat foods (which are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated “good fats”), one could ensure that very few calories come from carbohydrate sources, thus leading to the ketotic state … so what? … is that necessarily bad?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      check out Dr. Greger’s video
      http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/plant-based-atkins-diet/

      It address just that and a plant based low carb diet is indeed health.

      • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/bpcveg/ BPC

        Thanks for the link; though even after watching that video on plant-based-atkins-diet, I would be concerned about potential side effects of the eco-Atkins diet, including ketoacidosis, where pH drops to extremely low levels…not sure what the latest data is on this.

        • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

          I agree, ketosis is definitely an issue when carbs are restricted. I would be interested on Dr. Greger’s take on that.

  • Michael Greger M.D.

    For some context, please also check out my associated blog post Watermelon for Erectile Dysfunction!

  • Gremmin

    Follow the money, all studies funded by food companies cannot be submitted as science. Sometimes there’s money to made by encouraging certain results.

  • http://www.facebook.com/juliasfinn Julia Finn

    Dr Greger– have you read Gary Taubes’ Good Calories Bad Calories? I find his arguement compelling but I am open minded…Could you post a critique?

    • http://www.DonForresterMD.com/ Don Forrester MD

      It is not based on the best current science. While it is true that processed carbohydrates contribute to today’s high incidence of chronic diseases the consumption of animal products and high fat foods are a much larger problem not only in due to health issues with cholesterol and saturated fats but due to all the chemicals (e.g. dioxins, mercury, other persistent organic pollutants) not to mention environmental degradation, animal suffering and worker safety issues.

  • Choderus

    Has never affected me this way. Keep up the grudge-work.

  • Matthew

    If you look at his triglycerides, which are reflective of eating sugar and carbohydrates, they TRIPLE in that third period where he lost his mojo and the heart blockage. I think the most likely scenario is that he got tired of Atkins and started cheating a bit. Eating sugar/refined carbs will inflame your arteries. Eating all the fat of the Atkins diet with inflamed arteries gets the cholesterol and fat deposited inside the arteries to wall off whatever is inflaming them, thus causing the blockages and the erectile dysfunction.
    Eskimos and Masi had healthy lives getting 80% of their calories from animal fat with no appreciable carbs. Add western high carb food together with the fat, and their life span sheds a few decades.

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