back-up fuel is stored fat, and this fuel system delivers energy by way of ketones whenever our small supply of glucose is used up( in a maximum of two days).
When a person doing Atkins releases ketones, he or she is in ketosis. Ketosis occurs when you are taking in a very low level of carbohydrate from the food you eat, as you will during much of the weight loss phases of Atkins. Ketones are secreted in the urine( and at times in one ' s breath), a perfectly normal and natural function of the body. The more ketones you release, the more fat you have dissolved.
Part of this fallacy is the claim that ketones can build up to dangerous levels in the body. Studies show that ketone bodies are very tightly regulated in the body and will not increase beyond the normal range in healthy individuals.( Uncontrolled diabetics, alcoholics, and people who have been on prolonged fasts might see an increase in ketones beyond the normal range.) The body regulates ketone levels the same way it regulates blood-glucose or pH levels.' And in the clinical setting of my practice, it has been repeatedly demonstrated that overweight patients produce just enough ketones to meet their immediate needs for fuel-and no more. A person will have no more ketones after three months of controlling carbohydrates than they do after three days. It is highly unlikely that people, other than insulindependent diabetics, will build up ketones.
Confusion about ketosis often comes from people mistaking it for ketoacidosis, a condition found in Type 1 diabetics; this occurs when a person ' s blood sugar is out of control and he or she cannot produce insulin. No doctor should have trouble differentiating physiologic ketosis, which you will experience doing Atkins, from ketoacidosis. Further, since people are often overweight specifically because of an overabundance of insulin, it is essentially impossible for them to be in ketoacidosis.
Some individuals at the ketogenic level of controlled carbohydrate eating may experience mild symptoms such as unusual breath odor and constipation( see Fallacies # 12 and # 14). However, the vast majority of individuals do not develop problems. One study of a severely ketogenic diet showed that ketosis was benign, with no complications or side effects when studied in metabolic ward conditions. The month-long study documented heart, kidney, liver and blood cell functions in the patients and found no adverse effects.
In other studies, it has been shown that bone health was not compromised and that renal( kidney) function was found to be stable on controlled carbohydrate diets. Supporting what we know from years of clinical practice, there is even scientific literature on hyperlipidemia( elevated blood fats-i. e., cholesterol and triglycerides), showing improved values on controlled carbohydrate diets.
So the next time you read that the ketosis produced by the Atkins Nutritional Approach is dangerous, challenge the writer( in a letter to the editor, if necessary) and ask: " What is so dangerous about using up your stored fat?"
Fallacy # 2: The Atkins Nutritional Approach is only effective for weight loss because calories are restricted.
Fact: While some people who follow the Atkins Nutritional Approach may eat fewer calories than before, it certainly is not because the program limits calorie intake. People doing Atkins may end up eating fewer calories because they are generally less hungry and no longer obsessed with food. This occurs for two reasons:
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