It is simple. The main side effect is that you live a longer and happier life.

I look at it this way: The main things we cut out of our diets are sugar and flour. Exactly what vitamins and nutrients am I missing by not eating sugar?

None! I'm eating the good things packed with nutrition — meat, veggies, healthy fats — and avoiding the empty calories.

First, I've seen plenty of studies that exclude infant deaths from calculations of life-expectancy because, as you point out, high infant mortality skews the numbers so dramatically.

Second, in addition to a correlation with widespread adoption of a "civilized" diet, 19th century and early 20th century increases in heart disease, cancer, and so forth can also be correlated with increased life-span and improved diagnosis (both as a result of advances in medical science). I'm NOT saying that increased longevity causes heart disease. In fact, that is my point: correlation does not prove causation.

The absence of "diseases of civilization" in dissimilar populations (i.e., modern v. renaissance v. ancient v. primitive) does not prove that a "civilized" diet causes "diseases of civilization." There are too many other significant factors involved.

5 years of doing this took me from being borderline diabetic and high cholesterol to having great bloodwork and energy I never had eating low fat. To me that is testament enough that this WOE is not bad for me.

Just a quick note,

How you choose to execute the atkins diet is up to you. I find that I don't really like eating a lot of meat so I have had lots of fish (grilled and brushed with olive oil, sauteed in olive oil). I've enjoyed such wonderful treats as mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, spinach sauteed with olive oil and garlic, lobster (yes, I counted the carbs) dipped in clarified butter, lox, smoked salmon, etc. The fish oils and olive oil are known to be good for you. So you can choose how you do the diet. I also enjoy 4 oz of red wine about every other day...also great for the heart.

Slimcat