The Eco Atkins diet was conceived in Toronto, particularly in St. Michael's Hospital. Researchers in the said medical facility redesigned the original Atkins Diet by exchanging the high-fat animal protein with vegetable proteins instead. These researchers wanted to find out if a vegan diet filled with high proteins can encourage weight reduction and elimination of bad cholesterol.

In the said study, the researchers took 47 obese people composed of males and females and grouped them into two. The first group went through the Eco Atkins diet while the other group went through a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, a meal plan that had no animal meat and contained only vegetables and animal products such as eggs, milk and cheese. After a month, the subjects lost an average of 8.8 pounds. The difference was those in the Eco Atkins diet lost bad cholesterol 0.6% more than those in the lacto-ovo diet.

The first Atkins diet contained animal fat such as bacon and steaks. In the newer version, the subjects ate food that contained soy, nuts, deeds, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, beans and gluten products that had no starch. In the Eco Atkins diet, 43% of its calories came from vegetable oils, 31% from proteins in plants and 26% from carbohydrates. The protein from this diet came from tofu, gluten, burgers and beverages from soy, cereals, nuts and vegetables such as okra and eggplant, and other veggies that are low in starch.

This diet also had fats but of the good variety. It contained nuts, avocado, canola oil and olive oil. It also had carbohydrates but those that are found in cereals such as barley and oats, fruits and vegetables. In the study, the people under this diet were not allowed to eat food with starch such as rice, potatoes, white bread and anything baked.

The people who went through the Eco Atkins diet decreased their calorie intake by 40%. This is the reason why the weight loss was significant. The diet was also rich in fiber thus users were able to control their hunger and stick to this reduced-calorie program for a month. It just showed that this diet is an effective strategy to reduce bad cholesterol which may be due to the high fiber content. The study concluded that when people replace saturated fats or trans-fat with healthy fats in their meals, they would be able to lose weight and lower bad cholesterol. If they minimize their intake of high-fat meals and fried food, and instead be generous with foods that are high in soluble fiber, they would successfully eliminate bad cholesterol. Coupled with regular exercise, people would be able to shed off excess pounds effectively.

Going through a plant-based diet that has low carbohydrates will aid in a weight and cholesterol reduction program. This diet will also protect one from heart ailments. The problem is if the user would be able to sustain his or her commitment to the diet. It may be quite difficult to forever avoid animal meat and lower carbohydrates, and stick to plant food instead. With today's lifestyle where people are too busy and time is too precious, they just do not have the luxury to meticulously prepare the Eco Atkin diet plan. Fast foods are more accessible although they are not a healthy choice.

It would still be advisable to consult a doctor, a nutritionist or a dietician when one goes through the Eco Atkin diet so that a person would be able to know his or her nutritional needs. There is a more modern approach to this kind of diet as people take in more good carbohydrates, healthier fat from fruits and vegetables and lean fat from animal meat. With proper exercise, one would achieve a healthier weight and heart with the Eco Atkin diet.