Ketosis
Ketosis
Ketosis is a state in which your liver breaks down body fat for fuel , the byproduct of which is ketones . There are 3 types of ketone bodies : acetone , acetoacetate , and beta-hydroxybuterate acid . When we first go into ketosis , we spill the ketone acetoacetate ( pee stick ketone ). First , a portion gets spontaneously converted into the ketones acetone ( breath ketone ) and enzymatically converted into beta-hydroxybuterate ( the ketone that your brain primarily uses for energy ). Part of fat adaptation is to become better at making beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase ( the enezyme ). Many people complain of bad breath and B . O . This is totally normal . It ’ s from acetone . It goes away after a while .
Most of your body ’ s cells can use these ketones for energy directly , just as well or better than they use glucose . There are a few types of cells that require glucose , however . These include red blood cells , cells in your eyes , and parts of your brain . The good news : your liver has this built in glucose generator that produces glucose from protein . The process is called gluconeogenesis ( gluco = sugar , neo = new , genesis = create ). Your liver creates new sugar , just enough for those vital cells to use . This isn ’ t a magic trick . It is , indeed , how our bodies have survived without carbs for literally thousands of years .
Ketoadcidosis
The biggest fear health care professionals have about ketosis is the risk of it going too far , into a state of ketoacidosis . This happens when your ketone level goes too high , turning your blood dangerously acidic . Type 1 diabetics run this risk . However , if you have a working pancreas ( and most of us do ), you do not run the risk of going into this dangerous state . Again , type 1 diabetics run this risk . If you are a type 1 diabetic , you definitely should not adapt a ketogenic diet without the support of your health care professional . If you are a type-2 diabetic not taking insulin – or have pre-diabetes , or even just metabolic syndrome , you are safe . This chart shows optimum levels of ketones .
Pee Strips ?
Many people think they need to test their ketones with pee strips . The fact is , pee strips only test for acetoacetate . Also , pee strips only measure ketones wasted . In fact , as you become more fat adapted , the strips get lighter , because your body is using more ketones and spilling less . It is much more accurate to use a breath meter like the Ketonix product , or a blood ketone tester like the Freestyle Precision Neo glucometer .
5