Study highlights possible health risk with Atkins diet

USATODAY.com

Doctors published a case report on a life-threatening complication claimed by a woman to follow her adoption of an Atkins regimen. Of course, Atkins will have none of that:

Dr. Abby Bloch, vice president of programs and research at the Dr. Robert C. Atkins Foundation — a medical research charity run by Atkins' widow, Veronica — said ketoacidosis was not triggered by diet and could only occur if the patient had an "abnormal clinical metabolic condition."

"It is not brought on by diet unless she had an underlying cause which she and her doctors weren't aware of," Bloch said.

"Ketoacidosis is an abnormal state that occurs when there is a clinical abnormality. It doesn't occur when there's a normal state like a low-carb diet."

The patient, who was not identified, was admitted to an intensive care unit for four days after becoming short of breath. Before being hospitalized, she had lost her appetite, felt nauseous and was vomiting four to six times a day, the doctors wrote in the paper.

Tests confirmed ketoacidosis.

Ketones are produced in the liver when insulin levels fall due to starvation or diabetes.

"Our patient had an underlying ketosis caused by the Atkins diet ... This problem may become more recognized because this diet is becoming increasingly popular worldwide," said Professor Klaus-Dieter Lessnau, who led the team from the New York University School of Medicine.

Clayton said that the main problem of high protein diets is in the strain they put on kidneys and the risk of renal failure.

Categories: nutrition | health | Atkins | ketosis | ketoacidosis | expialidocious