A high-protein diet, like Atkins, may pose health risks; this case study highlights a 47-year-old man’s experience with a rare liver defect exacerbated by excessive protein intake, leading to ammonia buildup and severe health complications.
Think of a high-protein diet (like the Atkins diet) as potentially deadly. This is the story of a 47-year-old man who went to the hospital, complaining of confusion and inability to communicate with his family for no apparent reason.
Upon entering the hospital, he underwent a series of comprehensive tests that included routine blood tests, CT scans of the brain, magnetic resonance imaging, lumbar puncture, and a test for copper levels in the blood, which didn’t lead to a clear diagnosis.
His condition rapidly deteriorated to the point of complete inability to speak. The man was then admitted to the intensive care unit in the hospital.
During a series of additional tests, severely high levels of ammonia were found in his blood, indicating a problem in the liver. It turned out that this problem occurred as a result of following a nutritional diet that the man had started two days before entering the hospital.
What is the relationship between a high-protein diet and what happened?
Doctors specializing in liver diseases at the hospital said: “Ammonia is the toxin produced by the breakdown of proteins in the body, and the liver’s job is to remove ammonia from the body.”
In patients who suffer from a defect in liver function, the toxins are not removed from the body, so they reach the brain, causing brain disturbances, and in some cases, this can lead to death.
A team of specialized doctors (which included doctors specializing in intensive care, liver, neurology, nutrition, etc.) determined that the patient was suffering from a rare genetic defect in the liver – a defect in the enzyme responsible for protein metabolism (and this is based on lab tests that were performed in another hospital).
However, since the patient was unaware of this defect, he consumed large amounts of protein, which exceeded his body’s ability to process the large amount of protein, leading to a buildup of ammonia in the body, which, if left untreated in a timely manner – could have led to death.
After the hospital team performed a process that included drug treatment to remove ammonia from his body and kidney dialysis treatments, the man left the hospital in good condition.
What is the Atkins Diet or Protein Diet?
The Atkins diet is a popular diet based on its tenet of restricting carbohydrates while increasing the consumption of fats.
The book “Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution” was first published in 1972, with a second edition in 1992, and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. For five consecutive years, it was among the best-selling books in The New York Times magazine.
Dr. Atkins believed that carbohydrates inhibit the production of insulin, which drives glucose to the cells, and when there is no glucose for them, the cells resort to using fat reserves in the body.
Dr. Atkins also believed that people who suffer from obesity are caused by excess insulin resulting from a diet rich in carbohydrates, which results in less fat being produced.
The Atkins diet is based on restricting the consumption of carbohydrates altogether, while increasing the consumption of unlimited proteins and fats (this diet is called by many the protein diet).
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