Atkins NDR was the first LC book I read. I had no trouble getting into ketosis and losing fat.

I followed up on a lot of allegations against the Atkins diet shortly after I started LC. After all, with so many warnings, you would think there would be some facts, research data behind them. All I found with backup data was this:

A high protein diet is not a good idea for people who have impaired kidney function. Atkins warns that anyone with liver or kidney problems should try the diet only in consultation with their doctor.

A real thick nutrition text from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine warned that ketosis could cause dehydration leading ultimately to kidney failure, but provided no proof. There is a universally known cure for dehydration and I can't believe a medical school would miss it. Oh, and they also devoted several pages on how to spot a quack. One indication is if the person offers unconventional solutions to common complaints. Another is if he claims to be persecuted by his peers in the medical community. The authors are probably all dead from degenerative diseases by now.

On the web I found diagrams of part of the ketone burning pathway. Just like glucose, the four carbon ketones get converted to acetyl coenzyme-A. From that stage forth all remaining bond energy is released, converting everything ultimately to carbon dioxide and water.

There are only two ways to AcCoA, glucose and ketones, and it happens in our mitochondria. That suggests to me that ketone burning goes wayyy back in our evolutionary history, so there is nothing abnormal about it. The fact that ketones repress hunger signals is a nice touch (Thank you God) - that lets us keep going if we haven't eaten in a while.

When I get a high positive test for ketones, it is usually because I have been working hard, am a little dehydrated, and it is just before supper. In the morning, after meals, when I am well hydrated, I have barely a trace. So if you get a purple color, consider whether you are getting enough water.

One of the cool things for me about Atkins was that it made me read a lot!