In Reply to: Re: atkins diet and high cholesterol posted by Ken on September 09, 2000 at 00:22:01:

: : hello folks,

: : have any of you here tried the atkins (lo carb) diet?
: : if so, have you used it in combination with any natural cholesterol lowering supplements?
: : (such red yeast rice, garlic, etc.)

: : i have lost 27 lbs in a little more than 3 months,
: : but my total cholesterol just came back at 257 with LDL of 180 and HDL of 58.

: : i would like ot keep losing the weight (another 25 or so to go), but i dont want to risk the CHD.
: : i was thinking of adding a supplement.
: : thoughts?
: : thanks and best of luck to you all,
: : tone

: Dear Tone & others that have responded:

: I am involved in a lot of heart disease support work, and I associate with heart surgons, cardiologists and other medical professionals in the area of heart disease, and the vast majority are against the Atkins Diet for people who have heart disease, a very high risk of heart disease, hypertension and/or diabetes. Hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol are all risk factors for heart disease.

: One of the main reasons is the high amount of saturated fat in that diet. Fat helps curb your hunger, and many people go on this diet in order lose weight.

: The Atkins Diet should not be adopted on a permanent basis, and this is the belief of many medical professionals.

: Also, the low carb, high protein aspects of this diet can cause stomach and/or kidney problems. The kidneys in many people start to fail if they are on a high protein diet. There is plenty of medical evidence on this.

: If you go on the Atkins Diet, it should be done under the supervision of your doctor, and it should not be adopted on a permanent basis.

: Ken

Ken, you stated again that a high protein diet can cause stomach and/or kidney problems (do you mean liver?). You also say that there is plenty of medical evidence to support this. Can you tell me where I might find this evidence? Alan S.