People who stay on the high protein Atkins diet for too long could be harming their heart, kidneys and bones, Australian doctors have warned.
The high protein, low carbohydrate diet, popular among Hollywood celebrities, has been shown to reduce weight in the short term.However, Monash University's Associate Professor Malcolm Riley said doubts remained about the long term impacts of the Atkins diet.
"There still remains question marks over whether, for various population groups, there might be adverse effects," he told AAP, "And if there are those adverse effects, they're likely to be in the area of cardiovascular, possibly renal and possibly osteoporosis."
In a paper published in the Australian Medical Journal, Assoc
Prof Riley and Flinders University's Associate Professor John
Coveney suggested the low carbohydrate diet appeared to be safe for
up to 12 months with no obvious effects on cardiovascular
risk
factors or blood pressure.
Beyond that, the risks were unclear.
Atkins dieters were more likely than people on other diets to suffer bad breath, headaches and constipation.The diet worked for people whose short term goal was to simply lose weight.
Those on a low carbohydrate diet lost four to six kilograms more than people on a low fat diet over six months, but over 12 months there was no difference between the two, Assoc Prof Riley said.
He warned the Atkins diet was difficult to stick to and yo-yo dieting could be more dangerous than maintaining a relatively high weight.
"The main problem with diets is people don't stick to them," he said.
"It's a matter for individuals to find out whatever they can do to change their lifestyle in a way they can maintain.
"One of the main reasons people diet is cosmetic reasons, they want to look better.
"If health was their main concern, it's probably easier to be fit at any weight than to lose weight to a certain target weight."
The Atkins diet, developed by the late Dr Robert Atkins, has been around since the 1970s and the diet books have sold more than 45 million copies.
Atkins followers are told they can tuck into unlimited fatty meat, butter and other high-fat dairy products, as long as they keep carbohydrates to initially less than 20 grams a day.
Assoc Prof Riley said people who wished to follow the Atkins
diet should follow the entire plan and ensure they eat plenty of
fresh fruit and vegetables, drink eight glasses of water, take the
necessary supplements and minimise processed foods.
