Atkins Diet And Possible Side Effects

The controversial Atkins diet may well help lose weight, but it increases the chances of getting kidney stones and may contribute to osteoporosis. The low-carbohydrate, meat-heavy diet lowers by 25 percent the level of a blood substance that prevents kidney stones, the American Journal of Kidney Diseases reports.

"People may lose weight on this diet, but this study shows that this is not a healthy way," says Dr. Chia-Ying Wang, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern, and co-author of the 6-week study. "On the basis of this study alone, there was an increased risk of developing kidney stones and a possible increase in the risk of bone loss," says Wang. With more people getting older, osteoporosis will become an even worse problem. "And if people are going to eat this kind of diet on a long-term basis, it's unknown what the implications would be for your bones," Wang says.

Researchers are trying to counteract the effect of the high-protein diet on bones and kidneys "so that subjects can benefit from weight loss without experiencing the side effects," says Dr. Kashayer Sakhaee, co-author of the study and a professor of internal medicine.