Why Atkins works
Scientific evidence and hundreds of independent peer-reviewed clinical trials have demonstrated how a well-constructed low carbohydrate lifestyle can help you reach your weight and health goals.
Get StartedLow Carb Diets Are Backed by Science
Hundreds of studies have shown that low carbohydrate diets—as well as keto diets like Atkins 20® and Atkins 40®—are both safe and effective for aiding weight loss and improving overall health. With its ability to help you lose weight, improve your lipid profile and blood pressure, lose belly fat, increase your energy, and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and many other life-threatening conditions, the Atkins Approach is indeed a healthier, more balanced way of eating and living.
Not only have low carb diets shown to help with weight loss, recent studies found that they can also help improve symptoms of acne, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, and Alzheimer disease. Research has noted that low carb diets are superior to other dietary approaches in producing rapid weight loss results within the first six to 12 months 1.
Help Manage Blood Sugar
Research shows that low carb diets can help manage blood sugar. Both the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association have said that limiting carbs is a viable option for managing blood sugar. A review of all previous research found that low carbohydrates diets were effective for managing blood sugar and even suggested that following a low carb diet increases the chance of putting diabetes into remission without adverse consequences 2.
Promote a Healthier Heart
Research shows that low carb diets may decrease your chances of heart disease. Studies have found that by reducing your carbohydrate intake, you can help improve your HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure 3.
Improve Metabolism
Recent studies have found that restricting your carb intake can increase how many calories you burn by roughly 200 calories a day. One study from researchers at Harvard found that lower carb diets increased calorie expenditure possibly due to the metabolic effects of converting fat and protein to glucose. Overall, studies suggest that energy expenditure is increased when a person decreases their carb intake 4.
Products Follow a Low Carb Lifestyle
Our products are high in fiber and protein—minimizing added sugars or other quickly digested carbs—to prevent spikes in blood sugar. Atkins’ portfolio of products includes nutritional bars, ready-to-drink shakes, confectionary treats, and snacks available to support your low carb lifestyle 5.
Eat Right, Not Less
The Atkins diet is all about eating right, not less. Consuming foods with optimal protein, high in fiber, and healthy fats have shown to result in fewer cravings and hunger, making it a more sustainable choice for weight loss 6. A study showed that ketogenic diets tend to suppress feelings of hunger over time. Other studies confirmed that people on a low carb diet felt more satisfied after a meal and had less cravings 7.
Read More/Additional Science
Learn more about how a low carbohydrate diet can help improve your:
Discover which Atkins plan is right for you—and get started on achieving your weight loss and health goals today.
Evidence Based
PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine, 2007:
Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial
Context: Popular diets, particularly those low in carbohydrates, have challenged current recommendations advising a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet for weight loss. Potential benefits and risks have not been tested adequately…
Evidence Based
PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine, 2021:
Efficacy and safety of low and very low carbohydrate diets for type 2 diabetes remission: systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomized trial data
Study selection: Randomized clinical trials evaluating LCDs (<130 g/day or <26% of a 2000 kcal/day diet) and VLCDs (<10% calories from carbohydrates) for at least 12 weeks in adults with type 2 diabetes were eligible…
Evidence Based
PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine, 2020:
Effect of low-carbohydrate diets on cardiometabolic risk, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome
Overnutrition leads to weight gain and carbohydrate intolerance creating a vicious cycle of insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia inhibiting fat utilization and encouraging fat storage leading to an atherogenic dyslipidemia characterized by hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL, and small dense LDL…
Evidence Based
PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine, 2021:
Do Lower-Carbohydrate Diets Increase Total Energy Expenditure? An Updated and Reanalyzed Meta-Analysis of 29 Controlled-Feeding Studies
Background: The effect of macronutrient composition on total energy expenditure (TEE) remains controversial, with divergent findings among studies. One source of heterogeneity may be study duration, as physiological adaptation to lower carbohydrate intake may require 2 to 3 wk…
Evidence Based
PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine, 2018:
Effect of carbohydrate restriction-induced weight loss on aortic pulse wave velocity in overweight men and women
Increased aortic stiffness, measured by carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease, and past data have shown that low-fat and low-energy diets, fed for 8-24 weeks, lower PWV…Future studies are needed to establish the mechanisms by which dietary CHO restriction may confer more cardiovascular benefits to women than to men.
Evidence Based
PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine, 2015:
The Effects of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Appetite: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Background and aims The relationship between dietary macronutrient composition and appetite is controversial. We examined the effects of a yearlong low-carbohydrate diet compared to a low-fat diet on appetite-related hormones and self-reported change in appetite…Demographic characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, and appetite-related hormones at baseline are shown in Table 1. As previously reported, on average, participants in the low-fat group lost 1.5 kg and those in the low-carbohydrate group lost 5.3 kg at 12 months.
Evidence Based
PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine, 2021:
Changes in Food Cravings and Eating Behavior after a Dietary Carbohydrate Restriction Intervention Trial
Compared to low-fat diets, low-carbohydrate (CHO) diets cause weight loss (WL) over a faster time frame; however, it is unknown how changes in food cravings and eating behavior contribute to this more rapid WL in the early phases of dieting… These data suggest that in subjects that have successfully lost weight on a low-CHO diet, those who craved high-fat foods at the onset were able to satisfy their cravings-potentially due to the high-fat nature of this restricted diet.
