I have permission to pass this on. Kudos to Julie for speaking up..... two parts because of length...... Oliva > To Whom it may concern, > > There was a time when I expected, relied on CNN to report FAQ. This is no > longer the case, as it seems your pocket book is bigger than your > journalistic responsibility to report accurate information.....Please note > the following STUDIES done on the low carb lifestyle and please make your > low fat advertisers realize that responsible accurate information is > foremost in CNN's values......like it used to be: > > Studies on Atkin's Diet > > Early Results From New Clinical Studies Begin To Confirm Atkins' Low-Carb > Nutritional Theories Effect On Serum Lipids May Represent Breakthrough > Research Pointing To New,Horizons In Cholesterol Control > Updated 10:59 AM ET February 16, 2000 NEW YORK Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ > > Preliminary results from two scientific studies, both to be released on > Friday, lend substantial support to the Atkins > Diet as,an effective, safe and healthful approach to weight loss. Early > results from the first prospective clinical study of > the Atkins Diet conducted at the Durham VA Medical Center will be > presented Friday, February 18, 2000 at the annual meeting of the Southern > Society of General Internal Medicine in New Orleans. > > The second study, retrospective research, comes out of the Atkins > Center for Complementary Medicine in New York City. Of perhaps greatest > significance, the Durham VA study clearly demonstrated that the diet > positively impacts on serum cholesterol levels, lowering triglycerides, > while significantly raising HDL, commonly referred to as "good > cholesterol." According to the Durham VA study principal > investigator, Eric C. Westman, M.D. M.H.S., assistant professor of > Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University,"The purpose of the study > was to determine the effect of a very low-carbohydrate diet, nutritional > supplementation and exercise on body weight, serum > chemistries and serum lipids over a four-month period. > > We treated 41 mildly obese, healthy community volunteers in an > outpatient research clinic. The patients followed a program including > reduced carbohydrate intake to fewer than 20 grams per > day." The results showed that over a four-month period, there was an > average weight loss of 21.3 pounds. There was a significant reduction in > serum total cholesterol of 6.1% reduction in serum triglycerides of 39.9%, > reduction in cholesterol/HDL ratio of 18.9%, and a > significant increase in HDL of 7.2%. > > There were no serious adverse effects of the diet program. "This > dietary program works for weight loss," stated Dr. Westman, "and > surprisingly, can improve serum lipids over a four-month period. Because > of the changes in blood chemistries, further research is needed to resolve > the long-term effects of these metabolic changes, especially in people > with other medical conditions. "This could represent a turning point in > the role of nutrition in cholesterol control," explained Westman. "In four > short months on the Atkins Diet, we were able to confirm scientifically > what Dr. Atkins > states he has seen in his practice over the past decades. > > The diet lowers cholesterol and triglycerides and raises HDL, the > so-called good cholesterol, which may represent an entirely new approach to > the control and prevention of heart disease." > Although the study is now being continued to observe such long-term > effects in the original study subjects and others, during the original > four-month period, weight loss was only one of the benefits experienced by > the dieters. An overwhelming percentage of subjects reported other dramatic > beneficial effects including more energy (95%), less heartburn (87%), > improved mood (85%), less menstrual > cramping (71% of females), and less pre-menstrual symptoms (67% of > females). Furthermore, none of the safety concerns voiced by the > spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association during their meeting last > October held up in the study. This very low-carbohydrate program led to > statistically significant positive changes in blood chemistry and major > organ function. > > Over the four months, the study subjects experienced no adverse > effects to the liver or kidneys. The study subjects > were all classified as mildly obese (BMI from 26 to 33), ranged in age from > 18 to 65 years old, expressed a desire to > lose weight and were generally healthy by screening history, physical > examination and laboratory tests. Excluded patients included pregnant or > nursing mothers, anyone who had used a weight loss diet of any kind in the > six months preceding the study (including low-carbohydrate diets), anyone > who had used any prescription medication within the > two months preceding the diet or a prescription diet pill in the six > months preceding the study. > > The subjects followed the formal Atkins Diet including use of recommended > nutritional supplements, specifically a multivitamin formula, a fish oil > formula and a dieters' formula. Subjects > were also advised to engage in 20 minutes of some form of aerobic exercise > for a minimum of three times per week. Compliance was monitored by group > meetings, laboratory tests and personal diaries. > > > The study also showed some of the minor and short-term effects that > are commonly reported by Atkins Dieters as they undergo the adaptation phase > of the diet including headache, constipation and halitosis. "Clearly > ongoing long-term research is necessary to fully understand these benefits > and potential problems," explained Westman. In fact, the Durham VA and other > research institutions have already initiated > long-term follow-up studies designed to increase sample size and observe the > effect of the diet on other medical populations including hyperlipidemia, > diabetes mellitus gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), sleep apnea and > morbid obesity. > > Research is also planned to explain the mechanism of the diet as it > pertains to weight loss, lipid effects and insulin > sensitivity. The Durham VA results are supported by interim results from the > Experimental Study of the Efficacy and Safety of the Atkins Diet on Weight > Loss and Other Metabolic Functions also to be released Friday in New York > City by The Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine. Using multiple > selection criteria, including a BMI greater > than or equal to 23 for males and greater than or equal to 22 for females > and dietary treatment for at least one year, 319 patients were > retrospectively selected from the clinic files presently existent. > > Patients also had to be relatively healthy and not have some serious > pathology like cancer or AIDS. Data from these files on weight, blood > pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL cholesterol/HDL ratio, > glucose and kidney and liver function were examined. Weight changes over the > course of treatment for all 319 patients show a steady reduction for a > total of 17 lbs. While modest, this reduction indicates that the protocol > has a substantial and robust effect, since it shows up regardless of degree > of compliance to the diet. In other words, this year-long retrospective > study established that even when patients who follow the diet minimally, or > hardly at all are grouped together with those who comply well, the dietary > effect still shows up consistently over the course of treatment. > > But perhaps, echoing the Durham VA findings, the most exciting result is > that out of the 319 patients there was no overall increase in cardiovascular > risk factors. In fact over the course of the year, blood pressure dropped, > trigylcerides dropped, HDL rose, and the cholesterol/HDL ratio improved. > "Everyone admits that you lose weight on the Atkins Diet," explained Colette > Heimowitz, M.Sc., Director of Nutrition for The Atkins Center, "but we're > consistently observing dramatic improvement in cardiovascular risk factors. > > Most importantly, the findings, in both the Atkins' retrospective analysis > and the Durham VA prospective study, showed dramatic increases in HDL, the > good cholesterol. That's remarkable and could represent a breakthrough in > cholesterol treatment. No one has been able to get HDL to increase on any > of the low-fat diets, on the American Heart Association Diet or on the > government-based food pyramid diet. "We looked closely at all of the > concerns > about the Atkins Diet voiced by the American Dietetic Association and other > organizations and individuals: concerns about renal function, liver > function, concerns about excess protein, kidney stones, etc. These are the > points that the skeptics keep pounding on with regard to long-term safety. > "Now we have documentation for 319 patients studied over an average span of > about one year showing that changes in kidney and renal function tests, > creatinine, BUN, BUN/creatinine ratios, AST, ALT, and total bilirubin were > very small, and mostly in the desirable direction. > > If the diet has serious consequences for liver and kidney function, > they might be expected to show up well within a year time span. Such was > clearly not the case. In short, however you look at the data from the study > there is every indication that the diet not only confers health benefits but > does so safely." > > The Durham VA Medical Center Study is currently entering its > seventh month, with the vast majority of the study > subjects volunteering to continue for the foreseeable future. Dr. > Westman's collaborators on the project at the Durham VA are William S. > Yancy, M.D., Keith Tomlin, Christine Perkins, and Joel Edman. Complete and > long-term findings for both studies are currently being compiled for Fall > 2000 publication. > > Please contact Melissa Sodolski, 212-827-3745, or Gina Mangiaracina, > 212-827-3751, both of The MWW Group, > for The Atkins Center > > > > SAN DIEGO, CA (June 15, 1999) > > A very high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet has been shown to have > astounding effects in helping type 2 diabetics lose weight and improve their > blood lipid profiles. > > The results of three studies involving such a diet, which is similar to, but > has a few key differences from the famous"Dr. Atkins Diet", were presented > today at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society. > Dr. James Hays, an endocrinologist and director of the Limestone > Medical Center in Wilmington, DE, admitted that the concept of a high-fat > diet in people who are already at higher risk of cardiovascular disease > might see incongruous. Nonetheless, this study of 157 men and women with > type 2 diabetes showed an impressive benefit in body mass index (BMI) > triglycerides, HDL, LDL and HbA . Most people are encouraged to reduce the > amount of fat in their diets, particularly saturated fats, and diabetics in > particular are advised to reduce their overall caloric intake, Dr. Hays > explained in an interview in San Diego during the conference. > > Whereas a normal diet would be in the order of 1800 to 2100 > calories, with 60 percent of calories coming from carbohydrates and 30 > percent from fat, patients in this diet were restricted to 1800 calories per > day and were encouraged to get 50 percent of their caloric intake from fat, > and just 20 percent from carbohydrates. The balance of 30 percent would > come from proteins. > > A whopping 90 percent of the fat content in their diets was saturated fat, > compared with just 10 percent that was monounsaturated fat. > > "I think this is at least worth considering for any diabetic," Dr. > Hays said in an interview. "The thing many diabetics coming into the office > don't realize is that other forms of carbohydrates will increase their > sugars, too. Dieticians will point them toward complex carbohydrates ... > oatmeal and whole wheat bread, but we have to deliver the message that > these are carbohydrates that increase blood sugars, too." > > Higher-fat diets, on the other hand, seem to make the person feel > full faster so they eat less; higher-fat diets also > tend to reduce postprandial hypoglycemia so the patients feel better > after eating. They were able to eat all the meat and cheese they wanted, but > as for carbohydrates, they are restricted to eating > unprocessed foods, mainly fresh fruit and vegetables, he added. > > Subjects recruited into the study (84 men, 73 women) were all type 2 > diabetics and were required to undergo a standard American Diabetes > Association modified diet for one full year before entry into the trial. > Over the course of one year, the subjects achieved a mean decline in total > cholesterol of between 231 and 190 mg/dl. Triglycerides declined from 229 > to 182 mg/dl. > Low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol) fell from 133 to 105 > mg/dl, while HDL increased from 44 to 47 mg/dl. > The average weight loss among subjects in the study was in the order of 40 > pounds, Dr. Hays said. > By the end of the one-year study, he added, 90 percent of the > patients had achieved ADA (American Diabetes Association) targets for HbA1c, > HDL, LDL and triglycerides. > > As for the response from cardiologists who see a high-fat diet as anathema > to what they have been instructing their patients for years now, Dr. Hays > said he has three cardiologist patients who are now on the diet. > > "If you have a diet that results in weight loss, lower cholesterol, and a > better lipid profile, eventually, everybody will be eating that way. It's > going to come whether we like it or not." >