Low carbs diets….bad for you?
By admin
Published: August 26, 2009
Low carbohydrate diets are known for their ability to jump start weight loss. High protein diets such as the Atkin’s diet have been associated with no increase in cholesterol and have been credited with higher initial weight loss than traditional caloric restriction.
Recently we have reported research that high protein diets are unexpectedly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.
The current study carried out in a mouse laboratory model has shown that when fed a low carbohydrate diet the mice developed more hardening of the arteries that led to restriction of blood flow to vital tissues. The mice fed on a low carbohydrate diet were also less likely to be able to compensate for interruption to blood flow to vital organs. This occurred despite the absence of an increase in serum cholesterol implying that these effects were modulated via mechanisms independent of traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis. 
The implications for patients on low carbohydrate diets could be unfortunate as this is the second study in a short period of time to bring to light a possible negative role of high protein diets which usually go hand in hand with low carbohydrate diets.
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About Roger: Dr. Roger Smith is a nephrologist currently employed to the government of Jamaica. He is the Nephrologist in charge of Spanish Town Dialysis Unit. His interests are lupus nephritis and other glomerulopathies. He was previously a lecturer in Nephrology at the University of the West Indies in the Department of Internal Medicine and Coordinator of the Urogenital Module before moving into private and government practice. |
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