Doctors: Atkins diet may increase risk of kidney stone

[arissa]

http://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/newsmaker_article.asp?idNewsMaker=3850&fSite=AO545

Atkins diet may increase risk of kidney stone

21/07/2003 The weight-loss revolution that has inspired millions of women to rise up against the temptation of carbohydrates in favour of a juicy steak with a side order of spinach or rocket may not be medically safe after all, a team of doctors says.



Whippet-thin converts of the Atkins diet could find that adhering to the excruciatingly boring rules of the ultrafashionable, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet means facing the even more excruciatingly painful experience of kidney stones.



The Atkins diet, which inspires near-evangelical zeal in its converts, could be a “one-way ticket” to kidney stones, according to Dr Bill Robertson, a clinical biochemist at the Institute of Urology and Nephrology at University College Medical School in London, who has seen a marked increase in the number of patients with kidney stones. The soaring number of young women suffering from the traditionally male condition is of particular concern.

-snip-

Living off a diet rich in animal proteins and oxalate constitutes “a double whammy as far as the threat of developing kidney stones goes”, Dr Robertson said. “It is the worst possible combination you can imagine. The absence of fruit and other vegetables in the diet means the body is deprived of a means of counteracting the negative effect. The high-protein diets have contributed to an increase in the number of kidney stones that we are seeing.”



Whereas, traditionally, one woman to every 2.5 men was afflicted by the condition, that figure has now risen to one woman to every 1.3 men.

-snip-

[Submariner]

1. I love corn on the cob, or any corn actually,

and my doc said that may one of the reasons I've been having kidney stone problems. :mad:

[mac56]

2. I've suffered from kidney stones x3

and I've been saying this about the Atkins diet for years.

[lanlady]

3. "side order of spinach or rocket" ???

What's up with that--rocket?

[mac56]

21. "Rocket" is what Brits call arugula.

nm

[lazarus]

4. Great

Let's all be fat instead. It'll help agribusiness, so it must be good.

[arissa]

7. Ever had a kidney stone?

Didn't think so. They say the initial pain is so horrible you double over in agony and usually vomit.

I don't like how you oversimplify this. Obviously, if something gives you kidney stones, it's because you're doing something wrong to your body. Obviously, if you're overweight, it's (most of the time, rare genetic exceptions excluded) because you're doing something wrong to your body.

It's not one or the other here. A healthy, plant-based diet solves both problems (not to mention countless more).

Also, what's with the weird comment about agribusiness? Are you from the Midwest? Have you ever seen the endless fields of corn and soy here? Are you aware they're all there to provide feed for animals raised for meat? The meat industry is the largest farming lobby, agribusiness IS the meat industry, and agribusiness' largest customer is the meat industry (which are usually their sister corporations) They are one and the same. By eating meat, you're actually eating a lot more grains cycled through an animal.

Thus, it's meat-eating that is good for agribusiness. This is all fact and easily looked up, I mean, it's basic dude.

[REP]

9. I Have Had Over 150 Kidney Stones

They say the initial pain is so horrible you double over in agony and usually vomit.


Actually, I've had much worse pain.

A healthy, plant-based diet solves both problems

Err, not really. Most kidney stones are calcium oxalate, of which many vegetables are a rich source.

Obviously, if something gives you kidney stones, it's because you're doing something wrong to your body.

Say WHAT? I have idiopathic hypercalciuria. "Idiopathic" means no known reason - no over consumption of calcium rich foods. Do you know something the finest urologists and nephrologists in the world don't?

If you want to argue the benefits of a vegetarian diet, I'm right behind you with my favorite vegetarian, George Bernard Shaw. But please don't give out bad information on a topic such as renal health.

[arissa]

20. I feel sorry for you

That's a lot of suffering to have gone through.

However, I fail to see why you attack me as if I'm contradicting what doctors are saying. My info came right from the link I posted. Let me quote:

"Extensive research compiled by his team over the past 30 years has shown that high levels of animal protein substantially increase the amount of chemicals that form kidney stones, such as calcium in the urine."

It's simple, without minerals in your urine, you don't form kidney stones. Protein, especially animal protein, causes minerals, particularly calcium, to be excreted in the urine. Thus, a plant-based diet is going to drastically reduce your chances of getting kidney stones since you'll excrete less minerals in your urine.

This isn't some new idea I'm just making up. Basic physiology and extensive research, not to mention the link I provided (of which the Dr. quoted in the article specifically mentions animal protein) back it up.

I'm sorry for your condition, but there's no need to deny the link between animal protein (minerals in the urine) and kidney stones.

[Ein]

5. Not surprising.

I'm no nutritionist but logic serves that cutting any one thing almost completely out of your diet cannot be too good for you, provided you can't recieve it in a vitamin form.

[lazarus]

6. well

The problem is, nobody seems to be paying attention to the Atkins Diet as laid out. It's not supposed to be a lifetime without carbs. You're supposed to eliminate most carbs at first, then slowly add carbs back until you reach a state of equilibrium, no weight gain or loss.

[Ein]

8. Well let me say.

That, though I know many aren't motivated enough, a more efficient and seemingly healthier way of losing weight is to take vitamins, cut you calorie intake to a reasonable level (cut out sweets and junk food) and EXERCISE. I was overweight, I started excercising, and it was a triple payoff.... I look better, feel better, and am more active, which = fun!

I don't really advocate many diets, as I've never gone on one, I just ate enough junk food till I felt like crap about myself, then resolved to change that. (P.S. I don't really feel cutting out soda, junk food, and sweets is a diet, just a healthy decision).

I don't bash Atkins users, my own grandparents were doing it, my grand couldn't work it and my grandfather lost weight but felt really unhealthy (and they read the book and were supervised by our family doctor).... but all atkins users have to make a choice, and I think exercizing is much more rewarding in the long term.

[lazarus]

10. heh

And for those of us who can't exercise? I've tried low fat high carb, and packed on the pounds. Went to low carb and high fat, and the pounds melted off.

So just telling me to exercise isn't going to cut it. I have trouble walking from the bedroom to the computer.

[Ein]

11. exercise is fluid.

I don't take that anyone cant excercise. If you can walk a step, you can gradually increase on that.

[lazarus]

14. You can take it or leave it

The point is, I'm seriously handicapped. I can't increase on anything. It's getting worse. That's a decrease. The more I try to exercise, the worse I get.

[jpgray]

16. If you eat more than you burn, you gain

If you eat a little less than equilibrium, OR if you eat equilibrium and exercise regularly, you lose. That's just the way it is.

We eat ridiculous amounts of food here. If you can't exercise on anything, just walking a lot will help some. Eat less, walk more. If you can't walk/are in a wheelchair, whatever it is you do to get around, do it for an extra period of time regularly and eat an equilibrium amount of calories and you WILL lose weight.

[lazarus]

18. heh

That's easy to say. Fibromyalgia. The more you exert, the worse it hurts. Always.

I did the calorie counting thing. Felt even worse. Did the low fat. Felt worse. Gained weight on both.

Went to low carb. Lost weight, felt substantially better. Cholesterol count went down. Health improved.

Maybe I'll stay on it, since it's the only thing that works. For me.

[classics]

12. Dont forget liver failure, organ consumption (ketosis) and sudden death.

All fun side effects of the Atkins miracle.

[lazarus]

15. ketosis isn't organ consumption

Ketosis is simply the body's going into fat burning mode instead of blood sugar burning mode.

And I'd be interested in all the "sudden deaths" that can be directly related to the Atkins diet. Surely you have links?

[classics]

23. Ketosis is organ consumption.

Its what happens when your body starts consuming its own tissue to make up for nutritional deficiency.


Inadequate carbohydrate availability will result in incomplete fat metabolization producing unused lipids called ketones and leading to a chemical imbalance in the blood known as ketosis. Organ and muscle tissue may be metabolized to provide glucose from the breakdown of protein. Most of the weight loss that occurs by severe carbohydrate restricted diets is from water loss as the kidneys attempt to rid the body of the ketones.

http://www.2-fit.com/miscellaneous/fats.html


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Missouri doctors describe the case of an apparently healthy 16-year-old girl who collapsed suddenly and died after spending one to two weeks on a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet.

Electrolyte imbalances due to the diet, and the resulting damage to her heart function, were likely responsible, the physicians who cared for her report in a recent issue of the Southern Medical Journal. The girl had no known illnesses or medical conditions.

http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myheartdr/home/research-detail.cfm?reutersid=3105

There are plenty more if you actually look. Enjoy.

[lazarus]

24. so

You found one death that may have been caused by a Atkins style diet. Don't know why we don't just ban the very concept after that. That surely makes it a major risk factor.

From reading the article, it appears she forgot or neglected to take the vitamin supplements that are recommended for the first few weeks of the regimen, when the carb levels are at their lowest.

From the article:

"Most kids with eating disorders, even if they're able to hide the bulimia, they're constantly talking about being fat or needing to lose weight and exercise," Robinson said. "My indication, from what I understand of the interview with this girl's family, is that none of these things were the case."

Well, wouldn't her being on a low carb diet be an indication she thought she needed to lose weight? :shrug:


BTW, 2-fit.com is a personal site run by a personal trainer and bodybuilder, not a doctor.


http://www.ketosis-ketoacidosis-difference.com/

On July 7, 2002, the New York Times published "What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?" written by Gary Taubes.

I quote the article: " 'Doctors are scared of ketosis,' says Richard Veech, an N.I.H. researcher who studied medicine at Harvard and then got his doctorate at Oxford University with the Nobel Laureate Hans Krebs. ''They're always worried about diabetic ketoacidosis. But ketosis is a normal physiologic state."

"Simply put, ketosis is evolution's answer to the thrifty gene. We may have evolved to efficiently store fat for times of famine, says Veech, but we also evolved ketosis to efficiently live off that fat when necessary. Rather than being poison, which is how the press often refers to ketones, they make the body run more efficiently and provide a backup fuel source for the brain. Veech calls ketones ''magic'' and has shown that both the heart and brain run 25 percent more efficiently on ketones than on blood sugar." You can read the full article at www.nyt.com.

Being in ketosis means your body has burned a large amount of fat in response to the fact that it didn't have sufficient glucose available for energy needs. Under everyday conditions, the carbohydrates you eat are converted to glucose, which is the body's primary source of energy. Whenever your intake of carbohydrates is limited to a certain range, for a long enough period of time, you'll reach a point where your body draws on its alternate energy system, fat stores, for fuel.

This condition called dietary ketosis, means your body burns fat and turns it into a source of fuel called ketones. Ketones are produced whenever body fat is burned. When you burn a larger amount of fat than is immediately needed for energy, the excess ketones are discarded in the urine.

Check on lipolysis, too. That's the other element of ketosis. It's simply burning your fat instead of blood sugar. Which is actually why your body stores fat, so you can burn it when you don't have blood sugar available.

[curse10]

13. No shit

n/t

[Room101]

17. My DO went to school with him in NY...

He said everyone laughed at his wacky ideas.

[lazarus]

19. A bit more about this article

First, it's not "doctors", it's one doctor in England.

Second, did you not notice how loaded the adjectives in this piece were? That made me wonder, where did this come from?

So I checked.


Welcome to Food Ingredients First
Food Ingredients First.com is the food industry’s leading portal for unique content on food & beverage development.


Ah, yes, the food industry. They're not interested in a diet that goes counter to the food industry's Holy Pyramid, are they?

I'll pick out one blatant lie in the article:

A month later, his claim that his was a nutritionally safe diet (which bans fruit as well as bread, pasta and potatoes) was vindicated by two American studies.

This is so not true. At the very beginning of the diet, yes, you drop fruit and pastas and breads. But you introduce those things back into your diet as you progress. To claim that Atkins requires a lifetime ban of fruit is just blatant lying.

Always check your sources. This one is as biased as they come.

[ScreamingMeemie]

22. Note of caution...after studiously following this diet, My mother-in-law

suffered a heart attack. My sister-in-laws father suffered a heart attack 2 weeks ago while on this diet. I'd see a doctor for heart health before attempting...

Just my opinion, but this diet is just plain gross. All that meaty stuff day in day out.

GIVE ME BREAD< I LOVE BREAD!!!!

[thermodynamic]

25. Hey, that article is sexist!!!!

"...soaring number of young women..."

Makes old Star Trek look angelic and PC by comparison!

[JM]

26. I don't buy it...

...I am on the diet, and I had kidney stones BEFORE the diet. I have yet to have one since going on the diet.

Call me silly, but if I am cutting down on calcium and citric acid, both of which contribute to kidney stone development, how woul I be at increased risk?

Then again, I am not a doctor, I don't play one on TV, and I haven't stayed at a Holiday Inn in some time.

Later,
JM