|
( Ketosis)
Ketosis (pronounced /ki?'to?s?s/) is a state characterised by elevated levels of ketone bodies in the blood, occurring when the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies (which can be used by all of the body for energy as an alternative to glucose). These ketone bodies are a by-product of the lipid metabolic pathway after the fat is converted to energy.[1][2][3][4][5] Ketoacidosis, by contrast, is the accumulation of excessive keto acids in the blood stream (specifically acetoacetate and beta-hydroxy butyrate). Whereas ketoacidosis is universally considered to be a medical condition, there is a minority of specialists who believe that that is not the case with ketosis. Most medical resources regard ketosis as a physiological state associated with chronic starvation.[citation needed] Glucose is regarded as the preferred energy source for all cells in the body with ketosis being regarded as a crisis reaction of the body to a lack of carbohydrates in the diet. Ketosis would thus be a dangerous (potentially life-threatening) state which unnecessarily stresses the liver and causes destruction of muscle tissues. This is still the view of the majority in the medical and nutritional science communities[6][7][8], but in recent years it has been challenged by a number of doctors and adherents of low-carbohydrate diets, who dispute both the body's preference for glucose and the dangers associated with ketosis.[9][10][11] Ketosis should not be confused with ketoacidosis (diabetic ketoacidosis or the less common alcoholic ketoacidosis), which is severe ketosis causing the pH of the blood to drop below 7.2. Ketoacidosis is a medical condition usually caused by diabetes and accompanied by dehydration, hyperglycemia, ketonuria and increased levels of glucagon. The high glucagon, low insulin serum levels signals the body to produce more glucose via gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, and ketone bodies via ketogenesis. High levels of glucose causes the failure of tubular reabsorption in the kidneys, causing water to leak into the tubules in a process called osmotic diuresis, causing dehydration and further exacerbating the acidosis. If the diet is changed from a highly glycemic diet to a diet that does not provide sufficient carbohydrate to replenish glycogen stores, the body goes through a set of stages to enter ketosis. During the initial stages of this process the adult brain does not burn ketones, however the brain makes immediate use of this important substrate for lipid synthesis in the brain. After about 48 hours of this process, the brain starts burning ketones in order to more directly utilize the energy from the fat stores that are being depended upon, and to reserve the glucose only for its absolute needs, thus avoiding the depletion of the body's protein store in the muscles.
|
Ketosis Subcategories
Ketosis Articles
A View At Ketosis And Atkins by Jackie Serta
The basic principle of the Atkins diet is that a state of ketosis will help you burn your fat stores as energy. Many people, even those who are on low carbohydrate diets, don't quite understand ketosis and why it works.
Most diets are calori...
|
|
