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Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Brett get's it right !

"I understood that if eating carbs and having enough insulin your body works off that. If very low carb, your body only then produces ketones as a fuel source, which, if blood levels good, AND your body has enough insulin ok. Problem with ketones is when ill or lacking enough insulin (dk).
In your case, ill, and not eating regular and not reciving your usual bolus your body produced ketones. illness does do funny things to us diabetics."


Nothing wrong with ketones, a perfectly normal phenomenon. However, if you are running very high ketones together with high blood glucose numbers, the emergency department at your nearest hospital should be on your priority list. You may be heading for ketoacidosis, a very dangerous and life threatening condition.

However, if you are showing ketones (3 mmol is optimum on ketostix) and running low blood glucose numbers, on a low carb diet, no problem at all.

Ketosis/Ketoacidosis

Diabetics, and even some health professionals, often confuse two quite distinct metabolic processes - ketosis and ketoacidosis. Ketosis is a perfectly natural and healthy state during which the body uses stored or dietary fat for fuel. In order to enter this state, carbohydrate intake needs to fall below a certain level. Ideally, a healthy metabolism should regularly use ketosis, while fasting overnight for example, to fuel the body's processes and utilise stored fat reserves. Most of the body's organs, the heart for example, in fact runs very efficiently on ketones.

Ketoacidosis is quite different and is typically the result of a chronic lack of insulin, not a lack of carbohydrate. With insufficient insulin, the body attempts to fuel itself by breaking down fat and protein stores in an uncontrolled way, a process which results in the blood becoming dangerously acidic. In short, ketosis usually occurs when blood sugars are at the lower end of the normal range, and ketoacidosis occurs when blood sugars are dangerously elevated. Ketosis is a result of low carbohydrate intake, ketoacidosis is a result of inadequate insulin levels. 

Eddie


3 comments:

Mo said...

Brett is proper clever ! Top bloke !

Lowcarb team member said...

I have a lot of respect for Brett. He came over here under his forum name and gave us a good argument.

Not hiding in the shadows like so many others.

Good luck and health Mo.

Eddie

Lisa said...

yes, there is a difference between nutritional ketosis and ketoacidosis. This is a very good explanation.