It’s always encouraging when new scientific evidence comes out that continues to support the fact that low-carb diets like Atkins are safe and effective. We already know it to be true, but when the conversation takes place in the scientific community, I feel like progress is being made. I also know this kind of published peer review process will make it easier for those who have doctors that still live in the stone age.
For example, a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrologyexamines the effect of low-carb, higher-protein diets like Atkins on the kidneys. Lead author Allon Friedman, MD (Indiana University School of Medicine) and his fellow researchers compared the effects of a low-carb, higher-protein diet and a standard low-fat diet on a variety of markers for kidney function in 307 obese people without kidney disease over a two-year period. They discovered that a low-carb, higher-protein diet did not cause any noticeably harmful effects on kidney function or fluid or electrolyte balance compared with a low-fat diet. Although the authors recommend that additional studies are needed to evaluate even longer-term effects of low-carb diets on kidney function and other factors, this study is the longest and most comprehensive to date. This is also a typical statement that peer review journals usually require the authors to make.
New longer term research like this is encouraging news for all the folks out there who are struggling to lose weight, and even for medical professionals who would like to recommend a safe, effective weight-loss plan to their patients. Who wouldn’t want to recommend a plan that can help you lower your triglycerides, balance your cholesterol and your blood pressure, protect yourself from diabetes, while still losing weight in a safe and effective manner. Atkins is the gold standard, and research continues to support this.
