The Atkins diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet with four phases. It focuses on eliminating carbs that raise blood sugar levels quickly after eating.
Carbohydrates that raise blood sugar quickly are called high glycemic index foods. It's believed that high glycemic index foods might cause the body to excrete extra insulin, which results in fat build-up, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. But there's a lot of debate on whether this is true.
People use the Atkins diet for obesity. It's also used for diabetes, epilepsy, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Don't confuse the Atkins diet with other low-carb diets, particularly the modified Atkins diet, which is a type of ketogenic diet.
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