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Atkins Diet Pros and Cons
In many issues, the two sides are very far apart in their views. For example, the Atkins diet supporters highly value the weight-loss effects of ketosis, while critics primarily point out the possible negative effects of it, which include nausea, dehydration, headaches, and light-headedness. Between the critics and supporters, there are middle-of-the-roaders, such as Dr Ornish, who proposes eating a high-fiber diet that replaces simple carbohydrates with complex carbs. You can read more about Ornish diet here. Atkins Diet Pros and Cons - ProsA good source for the claimed pros of the Atkins diet is the official Atkins website, located at atkins.com. For the first, the Atkins diet claims to switch your body from a carbohydrate-burning metabolism to a primarily fat-burning metabolism, which should result in rapid weight-loss. This weight loss may amount to 5 pounds or over in the first phase of the diet program, also called the "induction" phase. If you like high-protein meat and fatty foods, you'll like the Atkins diet. Instead of focusing on foods fat content, the Atkins diet focuses on minimizing carbs and sugar. Atkins Diet Pros and Cons - ConsThe list of potential cons associated with the Atkins diet is much longer than the pros. In fact, there are numerous health organizations and medical professionals that criticize the Atkins’ diet, listing possible cons for both the long term and the short term. One possible problem area is the very low amount of carbs in the diet. According to Dr Rosemary Riley, low carbohydrate diets, such as Atkins diet, cannot maintain sufficient glycogen stores for high-energy activities. The levels of fat intake is also a potential problem area according to Dr. Riley. Atkins diet foods that are high in protein, such as meat, eggs, and cheese, are also high in saturated fat. Dr. Riley points out that eating these foods in excess may increase blood cholesterol levels to unhealthy levels. American Dietetic Association also has a problem with the Atkins diet. In contrast to the rapid weight loss associated with the induction phase of the Atkins diet, the Association recommends that in order to avoid potential health problems, one should only lose 1-2 pounds per week. When comparing Atkins diet pros and cons, the cons associated with the bodily state called ketosis take much of the list. In fact, Atkins diet is one of the best-known and first popular diets to use ketosis for weight-loss purposes. According to Dr David E. Norwood, ketosis is a process by which excess, stored body fat can be burned (as well as protein), resulting in weight loss. Dr Norwood lists some of the possible negative effects of deliberately causing ketosis as possible muscle breakdown, nausea, dehydration, headaches, light-headedness, irritability, bad breath, and kidney problems.
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