Frequently, I encounter medical professionals who have a negative connotation associated with the words “ketosis” and “ketones”. Why is that?
In school, medical students are taught that ketones are present in the body when a diabetic patient is succumbing to kidney failure because of the excess presence of ketones in the bloodstream. With that knowledge, it seemed unfathomable how ketones could possibly be beneficial or even therapeutic. However, there’s something missing here. The aforementioned situation is a state called ketoacidosis.
In this state of ketoacidosis, blood ketone levels are above 10mmol AND blood glucose levels are high. The body becomes unable to utilize glucose for fuel; that glucose stays in the body and fat is broken down to create ketones for fuel. Then, “without insulin to control the amount of ketones produced during this process, an excessive amount is produced.” This is a vicious cycle. On the flip side, in a state of ketosis, optimal blood ketone levels are between 0.5 and 3 mmol AND blood glucose levels are stabilized.
Can you see the difference there?
In a state of ketoacidosis, the body struggles to use both glucose and ketones as a fuel source, and is soon affected by this toxic state. Insulin and glucagon are unstable.
In a state of ketosis, the body is utilizing ketones as the primary fuel source with assistance from glucose as need be. The use of dual fuel is the ideal metabolism for the majority of the population. Reference my other articles to see why this concept of dual fuel is so important in your health and longevity.
To a better fuel source,
Coral A.J. Gibson