Controversial Atkins diet has HEALING effects?

It comes as no surprise to me that, slowly but surely, science is proving Dr. Atkins was correct in many of his medical beliefs. He was truly ahead of his time!

As you may recall, he was my mentor. And I have based most of how I practice medicine around what he taught me—and the possibilities he has opened my eyes to.

So, I’m thrilled to report on a new review that shows even more impressive benefits to following the modified Atkins diet (MAD).

Positive influence on seizures

According to researchers, the MAD significantly reduces seizures in adults with drug-resistant epilepsy.

(Notice how it had to be those who failed to respond to drugs? Because we wouldn’t want to step on Big Pharma’s toes, now would we?)

For this study, the diet used was a hybrid of the Atkins and ketogenic diet—focusing on a low-carb, high-fat intake. (This is a lower-carb approach when compared to the traditional Atkins diet.)

There was no fluid, calorie, or protein restriction. No measuring or weighting of foods, either.

Researchers were looking for a greater than 50 percent seizure reduction attributable to dietary intervention at the end of each study period: two months, three months, and six months.

Well, in the MAD group, 32.5 percent of participants experienced a 50 percent or greater seizure reduction, compared to just three percent in the control group. Plus, four people in the diet group experienced no seizures at all!

Wait, it gets even better…

A review published in the European Journal of Epilepsy showed that after 12 weeks of the MAD versus participant’s typical diet plus medication regimen…

Those following the diet had a whopping 528 percent greater reduction in seizure activity in both adults and children. Not to mention, a 494 percent seizure-free rate over controls!

You can’t deny these results

Now, you many have heard a lot of nonsense surrounding the Atkins diet. For example, this way of eating raises cholesterol and contributes to heart disease.

But if these individuals would actually READ the literature, they would know the evidence of cardiovascular safety showed the following:

• While total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol increased over the first three months of following the MAD…
• Values normalized within one year of treatment and remained stable for more than three years!

Of course, I’m not sure that anything will ever convince the naysayers that fats are HEALTHY. And that’s a pity, as many will suffer thanks to this incorrect and misconceived dogma.

So, I’ll end with this…

When I first starting working at the Atkins Center, I was also a true skeptic. But the very first thing that amazed me was how everyone’s cholesterol improved… let me repeat, everyone’s. (I know that’s not a scientific study, but it’s certainly good clinical evidence!)

Bottom line? Dietary patterns influence disease risk.

And I’m thrilled to see how my favorite way of eating—low-carb, high-fat meals—may unlock therapeutic effects in those who medications have failed them, especially when it comes to epilepsy.

Source:

“More Evidence That Modified Atkins Diet Lowers Seizures in Adults.” Medscape, 12/11/2023. (medscape.com/viewarticle/more-evidence-modified-atkins-diet-lowers-seizures-adults-2023a1000v2d)