ABSTRACT
The emergence of numerous clinical trials appeared in the scientific literature demonstrating the efficacy and safety of the Atkins Diet. When Atkins diet technique is employed in individuals taking medications for diabetes mellitus or hypertension, meticulous monitoring is required in order to prevent hypoglycemia and hypotension as body weight is rapidly reduced. The initial weight loss on the Atkins Diet is dramatic and averages 8–15 pounds in the first two weeks. The benefit of the Atkins Diet is that it results in dramatic reduction in body weight and often with reversal of comorbidities, improvement of lipid profiles, and reduction or elimination of associated medications. R. D. Feinman and colleagues' systematic review concluded that dietary carbohydrate restriction should be the first approach in diabetes management. Restriction of dietary carbohydrate consistently reduces elevated blood glucose independent of weight loss, and reduces the requirement of medications to control blood sugar such as insulin.
