How a Low Carb Diet Can Affect Your Blood Vessels

Low carb diets were introduced in the 1970s and regained popularity a few years ago. They have been known for helping people lose a significant amount of weight quickly. Many people have sworn by these diets. Some have stayed on them for a brief period of time, only to gain the weigh back. This was, in part, due to the fact that they went back to their old eating habits. Other people stayed on a low carb diet and kept the weigh off for good. However, what they don’t know is that this low carb diet may be hurting them in other ways.

Arguably, the most popular low carb diet was the Atkins diet. Its official name is the Atkins Nutritional Approach. This diet was designed by Dr Robert Atkins. He based his diet off of information he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It is said that he was the first person to ever experience the benefits of this diet. In 1972, Dr. Atkins released his first book detailing his diet for others to adopt. Over time, he released updated versions of his book series to modify the basic principles put in place by the original book.

This diet experienced gained popularity with a new generation a few years ago. It had such a significant social impact that menus in restaurants and food stores would tote themselves as having low carb options. This craze ended when the company founded by Atkins filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005. The diet is still followed today my many, but it is not nearly as prominent. Those who do still follow it should be well aware of the harm they may be doing their bodies.

It has been reported that some people, who were on low carb diets , have died from heart attacks. There were enough of these heart attacks to cause a scientific researcher to conduct a study on mice. She wanted to see if there was a link between eating a low carb and high protein and the development of heart ailments.

This four month study had some of the mice eat a diet consisting of a small amount of carbohydrates and a high amount of protein. The other mice ate a traditional western diet that most Americans eat. This western diet was full of carbs, fat and a smaller amount of protein.

The researcher’s findings were that the mice that had the low carb diet had developed more plaque in their blood vessels than those who had the western diet. While this does not mean that humans have the same result, doesn’t mean these results should be ignored. These results show that maybe sticking with a low carb diet could yield unhealthy results in the long run.

To combat these findings, many doctors recommend that sticking with a balanced diet is your best bet. Moderation and balance is the key when altering one’s eating habits. Taking a multivitamin and including a moderate amount of exercise will result in a healthier body.