Vegan Health ArticlesTHE SKINNY ON ATKINS - "Eaters of Raw Flesh"
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From Michael Greger, M.D.  
http://www.DrGreger.org

We don’t have any long-term published data on the bone health of Atkins followers (or any other health parameter for that matter). One might look to the Inuit peoples—the so-called "Eskimos"—for hints, though. (The word Eskimo comes from the word Eskimaux—"eaters of raw flesh.")[307] They seem to be the only population on Earth approximating the Atkins Diet, living largely off Atkins dream foods like blubber.

Despite having some of the highest calcium intakes in the world, the Inuit also have some of the worst rates of osteoporosis.[308] Although calcium intakes vary widely, people in some villages get over 2500mg a day, almost 5 times what most Americans get, due to their eating many of their fish whole, bones and all.[309] So for example, in one of their recipes for “Ice Cream," although the "2 cups moose grease" the recipe calls for is not high in calcium, the "1 dressed pike" added to the recipe gives the Atkins-friendly dessert a respectable 130mg of calcium per serving.[310] The "unusually rapid bone loss" found in every study ever published on Inuit bone health is blamed on the "acidic effect of a meat diet."[311,312,313,314,315]

While the near-Akins level of animal protein intake seems to be dissolving their bones, due to the near-Atkins level of animal fat intake, the Inuit women have some of the highest levels in the world of PCBs in their breast milk. Their blood is swimming with mercury and other toxic heavy metals. "They're at the top of the food chain," says Dr. Russel Shearer, an environmental physical scientist with the Canadian Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and therefore "accumulate the highest levels of these contaminants."[316] In the last edition of his book, Atkins did finally acknowledge the threat posed by the industrial pollutants in animal foods and urged his followers to choose organic free-range meat.[317]

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All-Creatures.org Health Position and Disclaimer

We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.