*October 2004 issue of Dr. Greger's Newsletter*

[Guest guest]

**************************************

 

October 2004 issue of Dr. Michael Greger's Monthly Newsletter

 

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CONTENTS

 

I. My Rebuttal to the Atkins Corporation

 

--------------------------

 

As you all know, the Atkins Corporation is threatening to sue me for

daring to speak out against the Atkins Diet on my website

http://www.AtkinsFacts.org. But I will not be intimidated; I will not

be bullied into silence by Atkins and their corporate lawyers.

 

Instead, I've posted their entire legal threat letter online for all

to see, accompanied by a point-by-point rebuttal, at

http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/135/Corporate_Threat.htm (I am

transitioning the " AtkinsFacts.org " URL to " AtkinsExposed.org " to

keep the focus of any impending trial on the dangers of their diet

and not on so-called " trademark dilution " issues).

 

Below I've reprinted the main threads of the back-and-forth with the

Atkins Corporation (their words are indented). The references are up

at http://www.atkinsexposed.org/

 

As you'll read, not only does the Atkins Corporation cherry-pick

studies that support them and ignore the rest (see accusation #1),

and even mis-cite articles that fail to support their conclusions,

sometimes they even cite studies that refute what they are saying!

(accusation #11, for example). They misinterpret, mislabel and

misrepresent studies (#15). They rely on outdated, unpublished

preliminary data (#10) and continue to disseminate false and

misleading statements (#10 and #11 and #12 and #14 and #15).

Sometimes it seems they just make stuff up (#8). Did they just assume

no one would ever check their references?

 

In next month's newsletter I will be back with all my regular

features. I know that people really seem to get a lot out of my

monthly reviews of the latest in nutrition, especially now that two

important veg newsletters have sadly stopped publishing--Loma Linda's

" Vegetarian Nutrition and Health Letter " and Jack Norris's " Making

Sense of Nutrition Research. " Fear not! I'll be back with the latest

next month.

 

I am not standing up to the Atkins Corporation alone. Thank you so

much to everyone who contributed to my Atkins Legal Fund to help me

in my fight to bring out the truth. I have found incredible attorneys

willing to work for free or at heavily discounted rates. Please

consider helping them so they can help me by contributing to the

Michael Greger Legal Fund by going to my homepage at

http://www.veganMD.org and clicking the Donate button at the bottom.

Or by sending a check to me at 781 North 25th St., Philadelphia, PA

19130. Thank you again so, so much.

 

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I. MY REBUTTAL TO THE ATKINS CORPORATION

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #1:

AtkinsFacts.org Ignores " the overwhelming weight of the evidence "

 

>Re: Your Statements Concerning Atkins and Use of Atkins Trademarks

>

>Dear Dr. Greger:

>

>This is on behalf of Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. ( " Atkins " ) in regard

>to certain statements appearing on your website located at

>www.AtkinsFacts.org...

>

>As you are undoubtedly aware, your position that the ANA [Atkins

>Nutritional Approach, i.e. the Atkins Diet] presents serious health

>risks is at odds with the overwhelming weight of the evidence.

 

There is, in fact, an overwhelming weight of evidence, but it points

to the opposite of what you're claiming. AtkinsFacts.org is hardly

alone in condemning the Atkins Diet out of fear for the public's

health. The American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association,

the American Dietetic Association and the American Medical

Association all have publicly come out against Atkins-like diets and

warned of serious potential health risks. Literally dozens of medical

and nutritional authorities have attempted to educate the public

about the very real dangers associated with diets like yours. Their

position statements are reprinted in full in my Expert Opinions

section at http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/22/Opinions.htm.

 

 

ATKINS CHERRY-PICKS AN " OVERWHELMING WEIGHT " OF 34 STUDIES

 

>In fact, as documented on the Atkins website... there are currently

>no fewer than thirty-four studies demonstrating the weight loss and

>other health benefits -- and absence of adverse health effects -- of

>a low-carbohydrate diet.

 

Thirty-four studies is your " overwhelming weight of evidence " ? There

are literally hundreds of published reports on low-carbohydrate

diets,[545] and you can only find 34 that support your position?

 

There are also, for example, " no fewer than thirty-four studies

demonstrating weight-loss and other health benefits " of CIGARETTE

SMOKING.[546-579] There are also 34 studies showing benefits from

thalidomide.[580-613]

 

Just because the Philip Morris Corporation can wave around more than

a hundred[614] studies showing health benefits from smoking, this

doesn't mean that smoking is good for you. What it means is that one

can cherry-pick data to argue almost any position. This is a classic

tobacco corporation tactic.[615]

 

On your website one can indeed find a list of 34 studies downplaying

the risks of the Atkins Diet. But if you go to the website of the

Asbestos Institute you can find 34 studies downplaying the risks of

asbestos.[616] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/58b4x ]

 

 

ATKINS IGNORES THE BALANCE OF EVIDENCE

What counts is an objective review of all the available data to find

out what the balance of evidence shows. Stanford researchers did just

that last year, publishing " Efficacy and Safety of Low-Carbohydrate

Diets: A Systematic Review " in the Journal of the American Medical

Association.[622] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/4zhsp ]

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #2:

AtkinsFacts.org Ignores the 34 Studies " Supporting Atkins "

 

>In fact, as documented on the Atkins website... there are currently

>no fewer than thirty-four studies demonstrating the weight loss and

>other health benefits -- and absence of adverse health effects -- of

>a low-carbohydrate diet.

 

The " no less than some number of studies support the Atkins Diet "

line seems to be the Atkins corporate mantra.[629-632] That's how you

responded when the American Heart Association condemned your

diet.[633] That's how you responded you were sued for allegedly lying

to the public about the cardiac risks associated with your diet.[634]

That's how you responded to evidence that the Atkins Diet may make

women infertile.[635] That's how you responded to the recent

formation of a coalition of leading non-profit consumer, nutrition

and public health organizations formed to combat the " low-carb

hype. " [636]

 

In citing studies you claim support your diet,[637] you cast your

position as scientific, though no major governmental or nonprofit

medical, nutrition, or science-based organization in the world

agrees.[638]. A 2004 review in the Journal of the American College of

Cardiology concluded the Atkins Diet " runs counter to all the current

evidence-based dietary recommendations. " [641]

 

So even if there were 34 studies published in peer-reviewed

scientific journals supporting the Atkins Diet--just like the 34

studies showing that tobacco can be good for you in certain

circumstances--independent systematic reviews of the entirety of

scientific evidence support neither smoking nor the Atkins Diet for

one's health. Still, since these studies seem to be the basis of your

defense, let me to look at these studies in greater detail.

 

 

OVER A QUARTER OF THE " RESEARCH STUDIES " ARE NOT EVEN PUBLISHED

First of all, 9 of the 34 cited studies " supporting Atkins " [642] are

not published studies at all,[643-652] but merely abstracts (brief

paragraph(s) written about an unpublished study) presented at

meetings, which in general, wrote an editor of the New England

Journal of Medicine, " must be presumed to be unreliable sources of

public information. " [653] This is another tried and true tobacco

industry strategy.[654] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/4248a ]

 

 

OTHERS WERE PUBLISHED IN A JOURNAL FOUNDED BY AN ATKINS SPOKESMAN

The remaining studies were published in peer-reviewed journals. Four

of these " peer-reviewed " studies, however, were published in a

journal I had never heard of called " Metabolic Syndrome and Related

Disorders. " When I couldn't find it in Harvard's medical library,

which boasts 26,000 serial titles,[670] or indeed anywhere in the

medical mecca of Boston, I became curious.

 

I called the publisher. I asked them if in fact a single medical

library in the country carried their journal. They confirmed that

Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. had an active subscription, but that the

only medical library that seemed to carry their journal, they said,

was one in Alabama.[671] I checked. They don't.[672]

 

In fact, the journal isn't even indexed by the U.S. National Library

of Medicine's Index Medicus[673] or any of the other major medical

databases, which contain over 12,000 titles.[674] I clearly had more

detective work to do. [continued at http://tinyurl.com/3rrhz ]

 

 

MOST OF THE STUDIES WERE PUBLISHED BY ATKINS-FUNDED RESEARCHERS

Most of the 34 cited articles were published by Atkins-funded

researchers--those given money by you directly or through the Dr.

Robert C. Atkins Foundation.[691-710] Another 6 of the studies did

not reveal the source of their funding.[711-716] (less than half of

major scientific and medical journals require disclosure of conflicts

of interest).[717]

 

As you know, the Atkins Foundation was started by Dr. Atkins and has

given millions of dollars to researchers[718] to, in the words of

co-founder Veronica Atkins, " prove Dr. Atkins right. " [719]

 

Asbestos corporations fund, publish and cite studies that downplay

the risks of asbestos.[720] Chemical companies fund, publish and cite

studies that downplay the risks of their products.[721] Tobacco

corporations fund, publish and cite studies that downplay the risks

of tobacco.[722] It is not surprising that you, the billion-dollar

Atkins Corporation, fund, publish and cite studies that downplay the

risks of your product, the Atkins diet. [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/6ypo4 ]

 

 

ATKINS RESPONDS TO CRITICISM " WHO PAYS THE PIPER CALLS THE TUNE "

You deny that your funding influences the results. " Speaking of

funding, " Dr. Atkins himself wrote, " the media jumped on the fact

that the Dr. Robert C. Atkins Foundation funded the study, implying

that the results were therefore suspect. Get real! Who do they think

is funding the vast majority of funding for drug research?

Pharmaceutical companies, of course. Does that mean that all research

on prescription drugs is equally suspect? " [745]

 

In choosing the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Atkins seems to have

picked the wrong business to exemplify lack of funding-source

influence. According to World Health Organization director Jonathan

Quick, " researchers who publish or communicate results unfriendly to

the [drug company] sponsors have faced intimidation, attempts to

discredit them professionally, and legal threats to recover 'lost

sales.' " [746] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/6ra89 ]

 

 

MOST OF THE " SUPPORTING " STUDIES WERE INADEQUATELY CONTROLLED

One of the favorite ways drug manufacturers design studies to skew

results in favor of their product is to choose inappropriate

controls.[756] Just like a drug company might choose an inadequate

dosing of the comparison drug to artificially inflate the results of

their own product, many of the " supporting " studies of the Atkins

diet were compared to diets that were " low fat " in name only, and yet

the Atkins Diet STILL failed to outperform them long-term.

[continued at http://tinyurl.com/4rlpf ]

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #3:

AtkinsFacts.org Relies on " Mere Opinions "

 

>In the face of this substantial medical evidence, most claims on

>your website constitute either exaggerated or scientifically

>undemonstrated statements, mere opinions from medical professionals

>or organizations...

 

" Mere opinions " from medical professionals or organizations? This is

exactly the tack the tobacco industry took. When the American Cancer

Society and others condemned smoking, the tobacco corporations said

that the smoking-lung cancer link was " mere opinion. " [833] Now that

the American Cancer Society has similarly warned against low-carb

diets, your response seems the same. [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/5986w ]

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #4:

AtkinsFacts.org of Relies on Outdated Critiques

 

>Furthermore, by devoting a significant portion of your critique to

>the first edition of Dr. Atkins' diet book, published in 1972, you

>impart the misleading impression that Atkins has not incorporated

>the numerous advances in medical and nutritional research (such as

>the recognition of lipid subclasses as risk factors for heart

>disease) that have since occurred.

 

First of all, most of the over 500 references I cite are from 2002 or

later.[836] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/5akbe ]

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #5:

AtkinsFacts.org Left Out " Crucial Information "

 

>A number of objectionable statements appear on the AtkinsFacts.org

>website regarding Atkins...

>* The site contains numerous distortions of information culled from

>cited sources. These distortions are inaccurate and extremely

>irresponsible. For example, you refer to a study that suggests that

>a quarter pound of beef raises insulin levels in diabetics as much

>as a pound of straight sugar (page 6). However, you fail to state

>whether this was in a controlled setting, where a load of the food

>was given under fasting conditions, or in a mixed diet setting.

>Leaving out this crucial information allows the data to be

>misinterpreted and misused for the purpose of supporting your

>argument.

 

That study did indeed find that a quarter pound of beef raises

insulin levels in diabetics as much as a pound of straight sugar. If

anything, the experimental details I omitted (study subjects served

as their own controls and the food challenges were given under

fasting conditions) just strengthens the argument against Atkins

claims which, as documented in the Faulty Science section of the

website, one leading obesity researcher described as " the most

unutterable nonsense I ever saw in my life. " [840]

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #6:

AtkinsFacts.org Understates the Amount of Fiber in the Diet

 

>* In another instance, you report that the Induction Phase of the

>ANA [Atkins Diet] only provides two grams of fiber a day (page 13).

>This number was not calculated by doing an independent nutrient

>analysis based on the menus provided in Atkins' New Diet Revolution,

>and although reference is made to the 1999 edition of the book,

>nowhere does the book mention that only two grams of fiber are

>provided. In fact, the Induction Phase using just whole foods would

>deliver approximately 18 grams of fiber per day. The addition of one

>Advantage bar includes an additional 6-10 grams of fiber per day.

 

Although your letter repeatedly accuses AtkinsFacts.org of making

false statements, you give almost no examples. The few examples you

do offer are wrong. This question of fiber content is no exception.

[continued at http://tinyurl.com/3pza4 ]

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #7:

AtkinsFacts.org Purports Atkins Claims Supplements are Necessary

 

>* Cost of Supplements. The site mentions the cost of vitamins and

>manufactured foods purportedly necessary to be purchased from Atkins

>in order to adhere to the ANA [Atkins Diet] (page 19). However,

>these products are recommended only to supplement a variety of whole

>foods, including meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and whole

>grains. The ANA [Atkins Diet] guidelines meet the federal minimum

>fruits and vegetables recommendations, including in the Induction

>Phase.

 

In regards to your objection that AtkinsFacts.org describes

supplements as necessary on your diet, I refer you to the latest and

last edition of Dr. Atkins' book, a chapter entitled " Nutritional

Supplements: Don't Even Think of Getting Along Without Them. " [850]

 

Also, as documented in the Malnutrition section of the website, the

Atkins Diet most certainly does not meet minimum federal

recommendations for fruits and vegetables according to an independent

peer-reviewed nutritional analysis published in the Journal of the

American College of Nutrition.[851]

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #8:

AtkinsFacts.org Provides " Inaccurate Interpretation "

 

>* Comparisons to Other Nutritional Approaches. At pages 7 and 15 of

>the site, you provide an inaccurate interpretation of the data from

>Dansinger study comparing the ANA [Atkins Diet], Weight Watchers,

>The Zone Diet, and the Ornish Diet, leaving the impression that the

>largely vegetarian Ornish Diet is superior to the ANA [Atkins Diet].

 

Of all the diets studied, the Ornish diet was the only one to

significantly lower the single most important cardiac risk factor

measured, LDL-cholesterol ( " bad cholesterol " ).[852] It was the only

one to significantly lower insulin levels, even though that's what

Atkins and The Zone diets were designed to do. Unlike the Atkins

Diet, the Ornish diet also significantly lowered inflammatory and

heart disease risk factor C-reactive protein, and improved a measure

of kidney function.[853] The Ornish diet also was the one in which

adherents lost the most weight.[854] [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/6smco ]

 

 

ATKINS GUILTY OF INACCURACY

>That study actually showed a significant reduction in the Framingham

>risk score in all diets except for the Ornish Diet, and the average

>weight loss on the ANA [Atkins Diet] was 6.4% after one year.

 

This is incorrect. The average weight loss on the Atkins Diet was

3.9%, not 6.4%.[857] You may have been confusing the Atkins Diet with

Dean Ornish's low fat vegetarian diet that showed the greatest weight

loss. [continued at http://tinyurl.com/4wm8q ]

 

-------------------------------

 

ACCUSATION #9 detailed at:

http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/135/Corporate_Threat.htm

 

-------------------------------

 

ACCUSATION #10:

AtkinsFacts.org " Exaggerates " Side Effects

 

>* Side Effects. You exaggerate the potential side effects of the ANA

>[Atkins Diet] at pages 12 and 14 of the website.

 

I quote directly from the medical literature--including from studies

directly funded by Atkins--documenting the extensive list of

pervasive side effects.

 

For example, Danish obesity expert professor Arne Astrup, M.D., of

the Centre of Advanced Food Research in Copenhagen, published a

September 2004 review of your diet in The Lancet. [866] Long-term

Atkins adherents " start to suffer headaches, muscle cramps and

diarrhea, " Astrup concluded. " This is consistent with a carbohydrate

deficiency. They simply do not get enough carbohydrate to supply the

tissues with blood sugar. That is why the organs start to

malfunction. " [867]

 

For further documentation I refer you back to the extensive studies

cited in the sections Short Term Side-Effects and Long Term Side

Effects .

 

 

ATKINS IMPLIES THAT THEIR DIET IS NOT EXTRAORDINARILY CONSTIPATING

>Constipation can occur on any weight loss program.

 

As documented in the Constipation section of the website, one study

funded by Atkins found that 70% of the patients on the Atkins Diet

suffered from constipation.[869] Dr. Atkins himself even admitted

that nearly all of his patients were constipated.[539] [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/3k2pa ]

 

 

ATKINS LEVELS ANOTHER FALSE ACCUSATION AT ATKINSFACTS.ORG

>* Contrary to your assertion, the ANA [Atkins Diet] includes

>fiber-rich foods such as spinach, eggplant, broccoli, asparagus and

>leafy greens.

 

I never assert that one can't eat foods such as leafy greens on the

Atkins Diet. In fact, I specifically congratulate Dr. Atkins for

recommending that exact thing in my Where Atkins Deserved Credit

section.

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #11:

AtkinsFacts.org Engages in Selective Citation

 

>* Cancer Risk. You selectively refer to articles to support your

>claim that the ANA [Atkins Diet] can increase the risk of cancer.

>Interestingly, this is something you accused Dr. Atkins of doing at

>page 6 of your site. In fact, studies you omit from your discussion

>contradict your conclusions.

 

The tobacco industry similarly accused former Surgeon General C.

Everett Koop of " selective reporting " when he argued that smoking

caused cancer.[871]

 

What does C. Everett Koop have to say about your diet? " People need

to wake up to the reality, " the former U.S. Surgeon General C.

Everett Koop wrote in December 2003, that the Atkins Diet is

" unhealthy and can be dangerous. " [872]

 

The American Cancer Society also condemns both the products of the

tobacco industry and the Atkins Corporation for their potential to

cause cancer. " A low-carb diet, " they write in their official

position paper, " can be a high-risk option when it comes to

health. " [873] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/48vuj ]

 

 

ATKINS CLAIMS THE ATKINS DIET COULD _PREVENT_ COLON CANCER

You seem to disagree with the American Cancer Society's assessment.

Dr. Atkins was asked, for example, if " a lot of red meat could cause

colon cancer. " He replied that there was " very little evidence to

support the viewpoint. " [878] On your official website, an Atkins

co-author even states that " a controlled carbohydrate eating plan

could be a valuable way to help prevent colorectal cancer. " [879]

 

Why then does the American Cancer Society say that " consumption of

meat--especially red meats--has been linked to cancers at several

sites, most notably colon and prostate " ?[880] Is the American Cancer

Society merely omitting studies that " contradict " their conclusion?

[continued at http://tinyurl.com/4r6nw ]

 

 

ATKINS CLAIMS THE ATKINS DIET COULD PREVENT BREAST CANCER TOO

Your website also claims that " doing Atkins is the ideal way " [888] to

control breast cancer risk. " A controlled carb way of eating almost

automatically lowers your risk of breast cancer. " [889] Eating over a

half cup of lard's worth of saturated fat[890,891] every day is an

" ideal way " to prevent breast cancer?

 

Your website claims " Saturated fat, the kind found in meat, butter,

cheese and other animal foods as well as tropical oils, hasn't been

shown to have any effect on your risk of breast cancer--whether

positive or negative. " [892] To support this surprising claim the

Atkins website cites an article published in 1997 which, upon review,

doesn't address the topic at all.[893] [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/4fbzc ]

 

 

ATKINS IGNORES TRANS FATS IN THE ATKINS DIET

Dr. Atkins was asked " Isn't the consumption of fat related to

cancer? " He replied " According to the multitude of studies published,

fat per se was not linked to cancer, with the exception of trans

fats, which are not included in the Atkins Nutritional

Approach. " [902] This is incorrect on two counts. First of all, trans

fats are not the only exception; saturated animal fat has been linked

to cancers of the breast,[903] prostate,[904] endometrium,[905]

lung,[906] and pancreas.[907] And second, trans fats ARE included in

such staples of the Atkins Diet as beef and butter. [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/3qfd3 ]

 

 

ATKINS WAS FIFTY YEARS BEHIND MEDICAL SCIENCE

The Atkins Director of Education and Research is convinced that

" Researchers at Harvard and elsewhere have made it plain that trans

fatty acids have been a killer since the 1930s... " [918] Yet the 1972

Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution recommended " unlimited " quantities of

vegetable shortening,[919] the single the most concentrated source of

trans fatty acids in the food supply.[920] [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/6tjfn ]

 

 

ATKINS " BEST EVIDENCE " CONTRADICTS THEIR POSITION

" Does a high-fat diet cause breast cancer? " Your website responds:

" Just the opposite--the right kinds of dietary fat may help prevent

it. The best evidence for this comes from Harvard's ongoing Nurses'

Health Study. In 1992 this long-running study of more than 100,000

women showed no connection between the amount or type of dietary fat

they ate and their risk of getting breast cancer. "

 

I agree that the Harvard Nurses' Studies represent the best evidence.

It was, in fact, those very studies that showed in 2003 that young

women with the highest intake of red meat and butterfat had over a

75% greater risk of developing breast cancer.[923] [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/5xjbp ]

 

 

ATKINS CLAIMS NO EXCESS PROTEIN-CANCER LINK

Dr. Atkins was asked " What is the relationship between excessive

protein consumption and cancer? " He replied, " No one has ever

demonstrated a relationship between excessive protein consumption and

cancer.[927]

 

Once again, this is incorrect. Protein intake, particularly animal

protein intake, has been linked to brain tumors,[928] breast

cancer,[929] pancreatic cancer,[930] stomach cancer,[931] endometrial

cancer,[932] kidney cancer,[933] laryngeal cancer,[934] esophageal

cancer[935]--even lung cancer.[936] Excess animal protein has also

been deemed an " aggressive " risk factor for colon cancer.[937]

 

 

ATKINS MISREPRESENTS DATA PRESENTED AT A CONFERENCE

One of the questions addressed in the Frequently Asked Questions

section of your website is " Doesn't a high-fat diet increase cancer

risk? " In your answer, you argue that there is no link between meat

and colon cancer, and base your argument solely on preliminary,

unpublished data from a single investigation described at a meeting

that took place years ago.[938] Further, even that data was

misrepresented. [continued at http://tinyurl.com/5dbkb ]

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #12:

AtkinsFact.org Makes " Unsupported " Arguments About Bone Risk

 

>* Bone Loss and Kidney Function. Your arguments at page 21 that the

>ANA [Atkins Diet] can adversely affect bones and kidney function are

>similarly unsupported. Urinary calcium loss is not an inevitable

>result of a low-carbohydrate dietary regimen.

 

This claim is similar to the one made in " Talking About Atkins to

Your Doctor, " a section of your website which explains that " you may

have to educate your health-care provider a bit about exactly what's

involved with Atkins. " If, for example, a dieter's doctor is

concerned that eating too much meat may leach calcium from their

bones, you recommend they tell their doctor " This is another myth

that has been disproved. " [957] Before anyone confronts their doctor,

though, they may want to know the whole story. [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/5b9u5 ]

 

 

ATKINS IGNORES THE STUDIES THAT ACTUALLY MEASURE FRACTURE RISK

>Although some short-term studies reveal a net urinary calcium loss,

>long-term studies directly examining bone loss via DEXA scan (a

>superior indicator of bone health relative to urinary calcium)

>reveal no bone loss.

 

It is evident that you focus on indicators rather than endpoints.

Your website, for example, discusses cardiac risk factors while

failing to reference the one study that actually measured blood flow

in the hearts of Atkins dieters--and showed a significant worsening

of their heart disease. Although DEXA scans may be superior to

urinary calcium measurements, arguably the best indicator would be

assessing the risk of actually suffering a bone fracture. The Harvard

Nurses' Health Study, which followed over 85,000 nurses for a dozen

years, found that those eating just a serving of red meat a day had a

significantly increased fracture risk.[961] [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/5ev9y ]

 

 

ATKINS FALSELY CLAIMS FOLLOWERS ARE GETTING ENOUGH CALCIUM

>Atkins offers a variety of foods rich in calcium in all phases of

>the program, including Induction...

 

Animal protein causes calcium loss, but studies have shown that if

someone consumes enough calcium, they may be able to mediate the

effects of the protein.[970] The problem is that the Atkins Diet can

also be seriously deficient in calcium.[971] The Atkins " Debunking

the Myths " webpage, though, calls such a charge just another

" fallacy. " [972] The " Fact, " your website counters with, is that

" While you're doing Atkins you will get 100 percent of the

Recommended Daily Intake of calcium... " [973]

 

According to independent nutritional analyses, this is incorrect. The

estimated calcium content on the Atkins diet during Induction in one

analysis is 373mg,[974] less than 40% the Recommended Daily

Intake.[975] Tufts calls the calcium content of the Atkins diet (even

AFTER Induction) one of its " serious dietary shortfalls. " [976]

 

-------------------------------

 

ACCUSATION #13 detailed at:

http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/135/Corporate_Threat.htm

 

-------------------------------

 

ACCUSATION #14:

AtkinsFacts.org Objectionably Asserts Diet is Bad for Heart

 

>Lipid Profile. You assert that page 23 that the ANA adversely

>affects the lipid profile thereby increasing risk of cardiovascular

>disease. However, in the studies referenced by Atkins at

>http://atkins.com/science/researchsupportingatkins.html, the

>majority of subjects following a low-carbohydrate diet experience

>favorable responses (e.g. a decrease in serum triglycerides or LDL

>and an increase in serum HDL) (Westman 2002).

 

ATKINS IGNORES PROOF THAT THE ATKINS DIET CLOGS ARTERIES

Based on one analysis of your diet published in the American Journal

of Clinical Nutrition, long-term use of the Atkins Diet is expected

to raise coronary heart disease risk by over 50%.[982] But before one

even addresses the question of risk factors, as documented in The

Proof is in the SPECT Scan, there was a study published in the

peer-reviewed medical literature that actually measured what was

happening to people's arteries on the Atkins diet.[983] The results,

posted online, validate that the Atkins Diet, according to the

American Dietetic Association, is " a heart attack waiting to

happen. " [984]

 

 

ATKINS EXAGGERATES THE BENEFIT OF LOWERING TRIGLYCERIDES

You claim that triglycerides are as big a threat--or an even bigger

threat--to heart health than cholesterol.[985] This is demonstrably

false.[986] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/63rea ]

 

 

ATKINS DISTORTS THE RECORD ON CHOLESTEROL

A rise in serum LDL levels is not an inevitable response to

low-carbohydrate dietary regimens. Some studies report no

statistically significant changes in LDL levels (Stern, 2004; Yancy,

2004) or a statistically significant reduction (Westman, 2002) in LDL

levels.

 

As documented in the AtkinsFacts.org section Atkins Distorted His

Record on Cholesterol, the Atkins Diet has failed to consistently

improve the single most important risk factor for heart disease, LDL,

or bad cholesterol. Your website, however, claims " Almost every

Atkins follower sees a drop in LDL ( " bad " ) cholesterol. " [995] Even

Atkins-funded researchers concede that this is incorrect.[994]

 

 

ATKINS ARGUES THAT SIZE MATTERS

Furthermore, some studies reveal that in subjects who experienced an

increase in serum LDL levels, the increase is due to a greater number

of LARGE LDL particles (pattern A) and not an increase of atherogenic

small LDL particles (pattern B) (Sharman 2004, Hays 2003, Sharman

2002). In addition, in some instances, the opposite trend may occur

in low fat diets: " Paradoxically, a low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet

exacerbates atherogenic dyslipidemia if the patient does not lose a

significant amount of weight or increase his or her level of physical

activity. " (Volek 2002)

 

You admit that bad cholesterol may rise on your diet, but argue that

the rise may be mostly in large bad cholesterol (pattern " A " ) not the

" atherogenic small " bad cholesterol (pattern " B " ). While earlier

research done on rabbits indeed showed that small LDL particles

seemed more likely to infiltrate rabbit arteries,[996] studies since

then on the arteries of actual human beings found that size doesn't

matter.[997] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/4gv72 ]

 

 

ATKINS OFFERS NO VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO DRUGS

Dr. Atkins warned about the dangers associated with the

cholesterol-lowering " statin " drugs,[1008] but then didn't offer a

diet that could lower one's cholesterol enough to avoid a lifetime of

these costly drugs.[1009] On the contrary, the Atkins diet has in

fact been shown to seriously worsen heart disease.[1010] [continued

at http://tinyurl.com/3te68 ]

 

 

ATKINS EXAGGERATES THE BENEFIT OF RAISING HDL CHOLESTEROL

>Saturated fat can raise HDL (Hickey 2003, Westman 2002). High HDL

>levels have shown to be protective against coronary heart disease.

>Therefore, even if LDL is slightly increased, the LDL/HDL ratio and

>total cholesterol/HDL ratio are still improved after following a

>low-carbohydrate, high saturated fat diet (Volek 2003).

 

This claim is similar to the one on your website that low HDL is a

more important risk factor than elevated LDL.[1043] This is

demonstrably false.[1044] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/42bpz ]

 

 

ATKINS IGNORES " MORE IMPORTANT " RISK FACTORS WHICH WORSEN ON ATKINS

According to your website, " Dr. Atkins does not believe that

cholesterol elevations are as important a risk factor as...

homocysteine and C-reactive protein. " [1071] It is interesting to

note, then, that even research he funded shows that both these risk

factors worsen on the Atkins Diet. [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/5kdqs ]

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #15: AtkinsFacts.org Makes " Misleading " Assertion About

Saturated Fat

 

>* Health Effects of Saturated Fat. Your assertions at page 26

>regarding the health effects of saturated fats are misleading.

>Studies looking at the effects of saturated fat on LDL and total

>cholesterol have primarily been conducted in conjunction with a high

>carbohydrate diet.

 

Similarly from your website: " Is it OK for me to consume more than 20

percent of my calories in the form of saturated fat? Absolutely, " you

replied, " you're fine as long as you're also following the rules of

the ANA [Atkins Diet], which include controlling your carbs. " Dr.

Frank M. Sacks, a professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at

the Harvard School of Public Health, called this argument simply

" ridiculous. " [1110] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/55rcb ]

 

 

HOW CAN THE ATKINS CORPORATION JUST SAY SATURATED FAT IS OK?

Corporations have a long history of downplaying the risks of their

products. Though over the past decades millions of children have been

poisoned by lead paint in the U.S., the Lead Industries Association

once threatened to sue a public health advocate for daring to say

that " lead paint was bad to eat. " [1119] The asbestos industry also

claimed that their product " offers no hazard to the worker. " [1120]

" I'm unclear in my own mind, " said the Chairman of Philip Morris in

1998, " whether anyone dies of cigarette smoking-related

diseases. " [1121] [continued at http://tinyurl.com/4d9s6 ]

 

 

ATKINS CORPORATION MISLABELS AND THEN MISREPRESENTS STUDIES

Your website claims " saturated fats aren't bad. " [1127] According to

Colette Heimowitz, M.S., the Atkins Director of Education and

Research, saturated fat has a " heart-healthy role. " " In fact, " she

writes, " some large epidemiological trials, including the well-known

Framingham Nurses' Study, have shown no correlation between saturated

fat and heart disease, stroke or breast cancer. In fact, the more

saturated fat and cholesterol participants consumed, the lower their

risk of heart disease. " [1128]

 

There is no such thing as the " well-known Framingham Nurse's Study. "

Ms. Heimowitz must be thinking of either the Framingham Heart Study

or the Harvard Nurses' Study. In either case, she is mistaken.

[continued at http://tinyurl.com/5gpew ]

 

 

ATKINS IMPLIES THE TYPE OF SATURATED FAT IN BEEF IS BENIGN

In the " Truth About Fat " you argue that it is " absolutely " OK to

consume more than 20% of calories in one's diet from saturated fat.

" In fact, " your website reads, " one-third of the fat in beef is

stearic acid, which has been found to have a neutral or

cholesterol-lowering effect. " [1138] This is a classic deceptive

tactic used by the chocolate industry. [continued at

http://tinyurl.com/6cvbx ]

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #16:

AtkinsFacts.org Claim Regarding Teen's Death " Without Support "

 

>* Your claim at page 27 of the site that the ANA [Atkins Diet] is

>responsible for the death of Rachel Huskey is inflammatory and

>without support.

 

Addressing Rachel's tragic death, adolescent medicine specialist Paul

Robinson, M.D., said: " Our findings are consistent with what I

understand is the body's potential response to the Atkins Diet. "

" Obviously it doesn't happen very often, " he continued, " and not in

everybody. But I am very, very concerned about it. There are

certainly lots of evidence that it may have been the diet. " [1149]

 

For further documentation, see the AtkinsFacts.org section on Rachel.

The report of her death and her diet was even published in a peer

reviewed medical journal by Professor Joseph Tobias, a world-renowned

child health specialist, that supports Dr. Robinson's

assertions.[1122] It's reprinted in full at Sudden Death of an

Adolescent During [Atkins] Dieting at http://tinyurl.com/4lyke

 

-------------------------------

 

 

ACCUSATION #17:

AtkinsFacts.org Cites Claims " Lacking in Merit "

 

>* With respect to claims brought against Atkins by Jody Gorran,

>Atkins believes that those claims are entirely lacking in merit and

>will be dismissed.

 

As documented in Closing Off His Heart To the Atkins Diet,

businessman and past Atkins enthusiast Jody Gorran stopped following

Atkins only after narrowly escaping a massive heart attack. He is now

suing you, alleging that you " knew, or should have known, " that what

you were saying about your diet and heart disease risk was

false.[1150]

 

It is ironic that your lawyers attempted to dismiss his lawsuit based

on your " free speech protection of the First Amendment " [1123] yet you

threaten me and AtkinsFacts.org for exercising the same right.

 

 

>Please be advised that if you persist in misrepresenting the Atkins

>Nutritional Approach and the research supporting the ANA, [Atkins

>Diet] you do so at your own risk. We intend to monitor closely the

>AtkinsFacts.org website and other oral and written statements by you.

 

I intend to continue to warn the public about the serious potential

dangers your diet presents. " When unproven science becomes a sales

pitch, " declared a spokesperson for the American Institute for Cancer

Research about low-carb diets, " some people get rich and the rest of

us get ripped off. " [842]

 

-Michael Greger, M.D.

 

*******************************************************

 

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Until next month--happy World Vegetarian Awareness Month!

-Michael

--

(206) 312-8640

mhg1

http://www.veganMD.org

 

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