Atkins and diabetes

[Guest guest]

This was sent to another list I am on I just copy/pasted it.

sharon

Diabetes Treatment Shocker: The Atkins Diet

Jimmy June 9, 2006

http://www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=5101

Dr. Vernon presented a new study on diabetes by Dr. Westman

With the diabetes epidemic getting worse and worse now that 73 million

Americans are currently either diabetic or pre-diabetic, most people would

say it is high time we start hearing some good news about the progress being

made to take on this awful disease in the hopes of finding a better way to

manage it and even helping diabetics become cured of it once and for all.

Now we do have some good news and it's a shocker, too -- The Atkins Diet.

C. Vernon M.D., FAAFP, CMD., President of the American Society of

Bariatric Physicians and co-author of " Atkins Diabetes Revolution, " presents

her findings today at the 66th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American

Diabetes Association taking place in Washington, D.C. from June 9-13, 2006.

While the low-carbohydrate nutritional approach has been much maligned over

the past few years by members of the media and the medical establishment

that has advocated the failed low-fat diet, scientific research is showing

the way of eating promoted by the late Dr. C. Atkins may be exactly

what is needed to effectively take on this diabetes dilemma. Dr. Vernon

certainly agrees with that.

" Sadly, confusion generated in the media over the past couple of years by

competing business interests has misled Americans and caregivers, " Dr.

Vernon said. " As a result many have turned away from what is likely the most

effective means to not only control diabetes with fewer medical

interventions and reduced medications, but actually reverse the course of

the epidemic: The Atkins Diet. "

At the ADA meeting today, Dr. Vernon presents these remarkable findings of a

new study out of the Durham, NC-based Duke University Medical Center which

she provided background and support for as an expert in obesity and

diabetes.

Lead researcher C. Westman M.D., M.H.Sc., Associate Professor in the

Department of Medicine Division of General Internal Medicine at Duke

University Medical Center, wanted to compare two low-carb diet approaches in

overweight and obese Type 2 diabetics: a low-calorie, low-glycemic index

diet (LGID) and a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD).

Dr. Westman recruited volunteers from the community to participate in this

outpatient, randomized, clinical trial. In order to be considered for the

trial, the potential study participants had to have a glycated hemoglobin

(HgbA1c) of greater than 6.0, a body mass index (BMI) from 27-50, between

the ages of 18 to 65, diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes mellitus for a minimum

of one year, saw the onset of diabetes after the age of 15, have no history

of diabetic ketoacidosis, and have the desire and determination to lose

weight. Any patient with serious or unstable medical conditions, such as

liver or kidney disease, were not included int his study.

The average age of the study participants was 52 years old, 80 percent of

them were female, and just over half (51%) were Caucasian.

Each of study participants were randomly placed in one of two groups:

1. LGID - an explicit calorie restriction diet

2. LCKD - limit carbohydrate intake to less than 20g daily

Both of these groups were placed on a multivitamin as well as a vanadyl

sulfate/chromium supplement to be taken daily over the course of the study.

They returned to the outpatient research clinic weekly for the first three

months and then every other week thereafter.

At the end of the first three months of the study, the the mean HgbA1c for

the LCKD group who saw a greater improvement when it dropped from 8.7% (1.8)

to 7.1% (1.2) while the LGID group only fell from 8.0% (1.8) to 7.5% (1.7).

Additionally, weight loss in the LCKD group was 8.3 kg in the first three

months while the LGID group lost 5.6 kg

Regarding diabetic medication usage rates at the conclusion of the study,

Dr. Westman found that 79 percent of the LCKD group had either greatly

reduced or eliminated their need for drugs to manage their diabetes compared

with 66 percent of the LGID group. An algorithm was used to adjust the

medication reduction while striving for euglycemia.

The study conclusion is that both low-carbohydrate lifestyle interventions

led to a reduction in the need for diabetic medicine and improvements in

blood sugar control. However, the larger reduction in the HgbA1c levels

after three months made the LCKD the better treatment option for diabetics

according to the study. The six-month study results will be presented today

by Dr. Vernon.

Since medication reduction is required to avoid hypoglycemia, glucose

self-monitoring and medical supervision are recommended if these approaches

are used to treat diabetes mellitus, Dr. Westman noted.

Additionally, Dr. Vernon is set to present these findings from the Duke

study which also found that the Atkins diet is likely the " best solution " to

manage Type 2 diabetes while amazingly still maintaining compliance after

six months. Also, Dr. Vernon remarked that these study participants also saw

their cholesterol levels stabilize, triglyceride levels greatly reduced, and

HDL " good " cholesterol go up.

An exclusive interview with Dr. Vernon is forthcoming at the " Livin' La

Vida Low-Carb " blog where she will discuss more about this new study and

what it means for people suffering with Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

You can e-mail Dr. Westman about his new study at ewestman@....

This new study regarding the Atkins diet is the third bit of good news for

the low-carb diet in just the past few weeks following a study that found

there is no bone loss with low-carb diets as well as the Atkins diet being

beneficial for lowering LDL " bad " cholesterol while raising HDL " good "

cholesterol. Perhaps putting the final nail in the coffin of the Atkins diet

was a bit premature. And there's more good news to come out of the research

community in the coming months.

http://www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=5101

[Guest guest]

I would never recommend Atkins to anyone. It is non-balanced, for

diabetics or anyone with kidney risk it can be deadly.

The only answer is balanced eating.

[Guest guest]

I did a very modified Atkins because of my celiac. The only really bad habit

I picked up was eating cheese which I didn't do prior to his diet. I never

fully did induction but overall it helped me.

This past Jan I tried Cruise but you have to eat too often on his

diet. sigh, Alice

My granddaughter is on Atkins for her seizures and it has helped

tremendously to reduce her seizures. She is only 2 and eats only

healthy foods.

www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org

[Guest guest]

My granddaughter is on Atkins for her seizures and it has helped

tremendously to reduce her seizures. She is only 2 and eats only

healthy foods.

Donna N.

>

> I would never recommend Atkins to anyone. It is non-balanced, for

> diabetics or anyone with kidney risk it can be deadly.

>

> The only answer is balanced eating.

>