ketosis article

[Guest guest]

I got this article from a health site... see if anyone can 'uncode' what

it means........ lol!- seems confusing to me..

Mol

Ketosis

[From: Training-Nutrition, Number 329, April 9th 1996]

Date: Fri, 05 Apr 1996 17:58:31 -0400

From: Ralph Giarnella

Subject: Ketosis-another viewpoint

There appears to be a misconception being perpetrated that the body does

not normally burn fat. On the contrary most tissues can

and do use fatty acids as their primary if not sole, source of metabolic

energy. Under normal circumstances the exception to this is the

brain and nervous tissues as well as red blood cells. Skeletal muscles

at rest and at low levels of work ( such as sitting at a desk staring

at a computer) use predominately fatty acids, but in heavy exercise

(>70% mhr) draw on muscle glycogen and blood glucose. If you

were to measure blood levels at any given time you would find small

amounts of ketones (.3mmol/L) present in the blood most of the

time.

Before discussing ketosis we must first define ketones. Ketones are

intermediate products in the oxidation of fat to energy. There are

three types of ketones - acetoacetate, Beta hyroxybutyrate and acetone.

They are synthesized in the liver. Once formed they enter the

blood stream and are further metabolized outside the liver by skeletal

muscles, heart, brain, kidney and intestine. This takes place in

the mitochondria (small chemical factories)of these cells. Complete

break down of ketone bodies to energy requires certain chemicals

derived from another cycle of chemical reactions called the

Tricarboxolic acid cycle.

Normally the body uses ketones at the same rate at which they are

produced and therefore the blood concentration remains low

(.3mmol/L). However under certain circumstances either due to excessive

production or inadequate utilization the concentration of

ketones increases in the blood and we develop a condition known as

ketosis (excess ketones in the blood). As the level rises our body

tries to dispose of the excess ketones. Acetone is excreted through the

lungs creating a very characteristic fruity breath. Acetone, Beta

hydroxybutyrate (acid) and acetoacetate (acid) are excreted in the urine

and their levels can be measured using ketostix. The basis of

weight loss in ketosis is the fact that these ketones contain a large

amount of unmetabolized calories. In short you are getting rid of

the calories by flushing them down the drain. That sounds great but

there is a metabolic price to pay for this waste of energy.

Two of the Ketones are acids and as such tend to acidify the blood. The

body functions within a very narrow pH of 7.4. In order to

maintain this pH the body has many buffers, perhaps the most important

and easiest to understand is Bicarbonate. Bicarbonate is

produced by the kidneys in response to increase acid production. The

lungs also assist in maintaining the pH by hyperventilating and

getting rid of excessive CO2 which is produced through the buffering

action of bicarbonate.

If the kidneys can't produce enough bicarbonate to counteract the

production of ketoacids, a condition known as ketoacidosis is

produced with serious metabolic consequences. Acidosis causes potassium

to leak out of cells and into the blood. High levels of

potassium can cause cardiac arrythmias. As the pH begins to drop

numerous bodily functions begin to malfunction. At a pH of 7.2

coma usually ensues and at a pH of less than 7.0 the human organism

ceases to function.

Does ketosis help lose weight? Yes. Is it safe? You decide. I wouldn't

recommend it. IMHO I think it is a dangerous game with very

high stakes. There are a lot safer alternatives.

Ralph Giarnella MD

Gastroenterology/Internal Medicine

Cycling coach -Category II license(USCF)

Soccer coach -E-License(USSF)

--

Smiles,

Mollie

Michigan

177/166/135

eat to live, not live to eat!