Study shows low-carb diets safe for the kidneys

From: Jill M.

Sent: June 1, 2012

To: undisclosed recipients

Subject: Fw: Study shows low-carb diets safe for the kidneys

I have always been a little afraid to try the Adkins diet because I read a book on low-card diets that made the claim that the diet was bad for my kidneys. It read "Consuming too much protein puts a strain on the kidneys, which can make a person susceptible to kidney disease" but now it looks like maybe it's not so bad short term. Jill

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A new study eases long-term concerns regarding the potential adverse effects low-carbohydrate diets may have on the kidneys. Low-carb, high-protein diets—such as the Atkins diet—have been popular for years, but experts have long worried that these weight loss strategies may have harmful effects on a person’s kidney function or fluid and

electrolyte balance. As far back as the 1970s, the American Medical Association even released an editorial labeling the Atkins diet "potentially harmful."

“The belief among many experts was eating lots of protein could ‘rev up’ the kidneys, like an engine, and cause damage or failure over time,” lead researcher Dr. Allon Friedman, from the Indiana University School of Medicine, told FoxNews.com.
“High levels of protein have also been known to change electrolytes in the blood in ways that could be harmful,” he added.

However, in a study of 200 obese patients who participated in a low-carb, high-protein diet over a two-year period, Friedman and his colleagues did not find any noticeably harmful effects on kidney health or function compared to people who ate a low-fat diet instead.

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