Furthermore, this study showed that a higher-carbohydrate diet results in increased levels of triglycerides and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol( the good kind). These factors have been associated with higher risks of myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease and coronary heart disease events. In addition, various researchers have demonstrated that high triglycerides and low HDL alone-as opposed to the total cholesterol number most of us focus on-may be the most important factors in heart disease and stroke.
We also can look at the research that ' s come out of Framingham, Massachusetts-the community studied for fifty years by Harvard researchers-to glean meaningful information about the cause of heart disease. This research showed that the risk of heart disease increased both with high cholesterol levels and obesity, but their data showed that weight gain and cholesterol levels were inversely correlated with dietary fat and cholesterol intake! In other words, consuming less fat and cholesterol resulted in more weight gain and higher blood cholesterol.
More recently, the Framingham researchers reported on a study in which the young, healthy, male population of the community was followed for several decades to see which dietary patterns might lead to having a stroke. To their amazement, they found that those with the highest intake of saturated fats had the fewest ischemic strokes( the most common kinds), a whopping seventy-six percent less than those with the lowest intake of saturated fat.
Fallacy # 10: The Atkins Nutritional Approach is the " most severe " of the controlled carbohydrate plans and is most likely to have immediate adverse effects.
Fact: Since there ' s nothing harmful about a controlled carbohydrate nutritional approach, the concept of severity isn ' t especially meaningful. The idea of severity surely comes from the low level of carbohydrate consumed during the Induction phase. Induction ' s purpose is to jump-start the body chemistry into fat mobilization. Throughout the other phases of Atkins, each individual seeks the most permissive level of carbohydrate intake that still results in weight loss or weight maintenance.
Fallacy # 11: The bad thing about Atkins is that it makes you crave sweets!
Fact: Craving is a symptom of addiction, and the surefire cure for addiction is abstinence. Atkins, with the help of chromium and glutamine supplements, allows you to get on with the project of dealing with your addiction. For almost everyone with sugar addiction, Atkins is the most effective treatment.
I have treated thousands of patients whose cravings come back as a result of a few unfortunate deviations from the plan. These cravings can be reined in simply by adhering to Atkins. Incidentally, in my experience, the controlled carbohydrate approach can be an extremely effective adjunct to the processes of breaking other addictions, including alcohol and cigarette dependencies.
Fallacy # 12: Atkins causes bad breath.
Fact: Well, actually, it causes ketone breath. Ketones, which impart a sweetish smell, do not cause what I would call bad breath. It ' s a different breath smell to be sure, but not an offensive one. I have not noticed it among my patients for years; perhaps I simply consider it
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