Why Dka & Nutritional Ketosis Are Not The Same
There’s a very common misconception and general misunderstanding around ketones. Specifically, the misunderstandings lie in the areas of: ketones that are produced in low-carb diets of generally less than 50 grams of carbs per day, which is low enough to put a person in a state of “nutritional ketosis” ketones that are produced when a diabetic is in a state of “diabetic ketoacidosis” (DKA) and lastly, there are “starvation ketones” and “illness-induced ketones” The fact is they are very different. DKA is a dangerous state of ketosis that can easily land a diabetic in the hospital and is life-threatening. Meanwhile, “nutritional ketosis” is the result of a nutritional approach that both non-diabetics and diabetics can safely achieve through low-carb nutrition. Diabetic Ketoacidosis vs. Nutritional Ketosis Ryan Attar (soon to be Ryan Attar, ND) helps explain the science and actual human physiology behind these different types of ketone production. Ryan is currently studying to become a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine in Connecticut and also pursuing a Masters Degree in Human Nutrition. He has interned under the supervision of the very well-known diabetes doc, Dr. Bernstein. Ryan explains: Diabetic Ketoacidosis: “Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), is a very dangerous state where an individual with uncontrolled diabetes is effectively starving due to lack of insulin. Insulin brings glucose into our cells and without it the body switches to ketones. Our brain can function off either glucose or fat and ketones. Ketones are a breakdown of fat and amino acids that can travel through the blood to various tissues to be utilized for fuel.” “In normal individuals, or those with well controlled diabetes, insulin acts to cancel the feedback loop and slow and sto Continue reading >>
What’s The Difference Between Ketosis And Diabetic Ketoacidosis?
Ketosis and ketoacidosis sound similar and are sometimes confused, but don’t mistake these conditions for one another. These involve two different sets of circumstances with considerably different outlooks. Both are triggered by an increase of ketones in the body, which are acids released into the bloodstream when the body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. But it’s how the body responds to this increase that sets ketosis and ketoacidosis apart from each other. RELATED: How to Tell the Difference Between Good and Bad Carbs What Is Ketosis and How Does the Process Work? “Ketosis is a natural state that occurs when you start to metabolize fat instead of sugar,” says Michael Greenfield, MD, endocrinologist and chief medical officer at El Camino Hospital in Palo Alto, California. “It occurs often when people fast and use up the stores of sugar in their body." To understand ketosis, it helps to understand how the body burns energy. Carbohydrates and fat are both energy sources, and the body typically burns carbs (sugar or glucose) first, and then fat. If there aren’t enough carbohydrates in your system, it begins to break down fat for energy, which puts your body into a state of ketosis. While in this state, the body becomes a fat-burning machine. For this reason, ketosis is the goal of many diets, particularly those that restrict carbohydrate intake and rely on fat for energy, such as the ketogenic diet. Understanding the Relationship Between the Ketogenic Diet and Ketosis “The ketogenic diet is a high-fat (60 to 80 percent of your total daily calories), moderate-protein (10 to 15 percent of your total daily calories), and low-carbohydrate diet (less than 10 percent of your total daily calories) that forces your body into ketosis, where it burns fa Continue reading >>
Ketosis
Tweet Ketosis is a state the body may find itself in either as a result of raised blood glucose levels or as a part of low carb dieting. Low levels of ketosis is perfectly normal. However, high levels of ketosis in the short term can be serious and the long term effects of regular moderate ketosis are only partially known at the moment. What is ketosis? Ketosis is a state the body goes into if it needs to break down body fat for energy. The state is marked by raised levels of ketones in the blood which can be used by the body as fuel. Ketones which are not used for fuel are excreted out of the body via the kidneys and the urine. Is ketosis the same as ketoacidosis? There is often confusion as to the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis. Ketosis is the state whereby the body is producing ketones. In ketosis, the level of ketones in the blood can be anything between normal to very high. Diabetic ketoacidosis, also known as DKA, only describes the state in which the level of ketones is either high or very high. In ketoacidosis, the amount of ketones in the blood is sufficient to turn the blood acidic, which is a dangerous medical state. When does ketosis occur? Ketosis will take place when the body needs energy and there is not sufficient glucose available for the body. This can typically happen when the body is lacking insulin and blood glucose levels become high. Other causes can be the result of being on a low carb diet. A low level of carbohydrate will lead to low levels of insulin, and therefore the body will produce ketones which do not rely on insulin to get into and fuel the body’s cells. A further cause of ketosis, less relevant to people with diabetes, is a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Is ketosis dangerous? The NHS describes ketosis as a pote Continue reading >>
Ketoacidosis Versus Ketosis
Some medical professionals confuse ketoacidosis, an extremely abnormal form of ketosis, with the normal benign ketosis associated with ketogenic diets and fasting states in the body. They will then tell you that ketosis is dangerous. Testing Laboratory Microbiology - Air Quality - Mold Asbestos - Environmental - Lead emsl.com Ketosis is NOT Ketoacidosis The difference between the two conditions is a matter of volume and flow rate*: Benign nutritional ketosis is a controlled, insulin regulated process which results in a mild release of fatty acids and ketone body production in response to either a fast from food, or a reduction in carbohydrate intake. Ketoacidosis is driven by a lack of insulin in the body. Without insulin, blood sugar rises to high levels and stored fat streams from fat cells. This excess amount of fat metabolism results in the production of abnormal quantities of ketones. The combination of high blood sugar and high ketone levels can upset the normal acid/base balance in the blood and become dangerous. In order to reach a state of ketoacidosis, insulin levels must be so low that the regulation of blood sugar and fatty acid flow is impaired. *See this reference paper. Here's a table of the actual numbers to show the differences in magnitude: Body Condition Quantity of Ketones Being Produced After a meal: 0.1 mmol/L Overnight Fast: 0.3 mmol/L Ketogenic Diet (Nutritional ketosis): 1-8 mmol/L >20 Days Fasting: 10 mmol/L Uncontrolled Diabetes (Ketoacidosis): >20 mmol/L Here's a more detailed explanation: Fact 1: Every human body maintains the blood and cellular fluids within a very narrow range between being too acidic (low pH) and too basic (high pH). If the blood pH gets out of the normal range, either too low or too high, big problems happen. Fact 2: The Continue reading >>
Is Ketosis Dangerous?
You may have heard from your doctor that ketosis is a life-threatening condition. If so, your doctor is confusing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with nutritional ketosis, or keto-adaptation. First, some semantics. Our body can produce, from fat and some amino acids, three ketone bodies (a “ketone” refers to the chemical structure where oxygen is double-bonded to carbon sandwiched between at least 2 other carbons). These ketone bodies we produce are: acetone, acetoacetone, and beta-hydroxybutyrate (B-OHB). [For anyone who is interested, they are the 3 most right structures on the figure, below.] Why do we make ketones? For starters, it’s a vital evolutionary advantage. Our brain can only function with glucose and ketones. Since we can’t store more than about 24 hours’ worth of glucose, we would all die of hypoglycemia if ever forced to fast for more than a day. Fortunately, our liver can take fat and select amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and turn them into ketones, first and foremost to feed our brains. Hence, our body’s ability to produce ketones is required for basic survival. What is diabetic ketoacidosis? When diabetics (usually Type I diabetics, but sometimes this occurs in very late-stage, insulin-dependent, Type II diabetics) fail to receive enough insulin, they go into an effective state of starvation. While they may have all the glucose in the world in their bloodstream, without insulin, they can’t get any into their cells. Hence, they are effectively going into starvation. The body does what it would do in anyone – it starts to make ketones out of fat and proteins. Here’s the problem: the diabetic patient in this case can’t produce any insulin, so there is no feedback loop and they continue to produce more and more ketones withou Continue reading >>
What Is Ketoacidosis? A Comprehensive Guide
Ketoacidosis is lethal. It is responsible for over 100,000 hospital admissions per year in the US with a mortality rate of around 5%. In other words, ketoacidosis is to blame for about 5,000 deaths per year. The cause? A deadly combination of uncontrolled hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis, and increased ketone body levels in the blood (more on this deadly combination later). Luckily, this lethal triad rarely affects individuals who don’t have diabetes. However, the majority (80%) of cases of diabetic ketoacidosis occur in people with a known history of diabetes mellitus (any form of diabetes). Ketoacidosis vs. Diabetic Ketoacidosis — What’s The Difference? At this point, you may have noticed that I used ketoacidosis and diabetic ketoacidosis interchangeably. This is because it is difficult for the body to get into a state of ketoacidosis without the blood sugar control issues that are common in people with diabetes. Hence, the term diabetic ketoacidosis. (However, there is another form of ketoacidosis called alcoholic ketoacidosis. This occurs in alcoholics who had a recent alcohol binge during a period of time when they didn’t eat enough.) Ketoacidosis tends to occur the most in people who have type 1 diabetes. Somewhere between 5 and 8 of every 1,000 people with type 1 diabetes develops diabetic ketoacidosis each year. Type 2 diabetics also run the risk of ketoacidosis under stressful situations, but it is much rarer because type 2 diabetics have some remaining insulin production (type 1 diabetics do not). If you are not part of the 422 million people worldwide that have diabetes, your risk of getting ketoacidosis is negligible. You would have to put yourself through years of stress, inactivity, and unhealthy eating habits before you experience ketoacidosis. ( Continue reading >>
Metabolic Effects Of The Very-low-carbohydrate Diets: Misunderstood "villains" Of Human Metabolism
Go to: The Ketone Bodies are an Important Fuel The hormonal changes associated with a low carbohydrate diet include a reduction in the circulating levels of insulin along with increased levels of glucagon. This activates phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, fructose 1,6-biphosphatase, and glucose 6-phosphatase and also inhibits pyruvate kinase, 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase, and glucokinase. These changes indeed favor gluconeogenesis. However, the body limits glucose utilization to reduce the need for gluconeogenesis. In the liver in the well-fed state, acetyl CoA formed during the β-oxidation of fatty acids is oxidized to CO2 and H2O in the citric acid cycle. However, when the rate of mobilization of fatty acids from adipose tissue is accelerated, as, for example, during very low carbohydrate intake, the liver converts acetyl CoA into ketone bodies: Acetoacetate and 3-hydroxybutyrate. The liver cannot utilize ketone bodies because it lacks the mitochondrial enzyme succinyl CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase required for activation of acetoacetate to acetoacetyl CoA [3]. Therefore, ketone bodies flow from the liver to extra-hepatic tissues (e.g., brain) for use as a fuel; this spares glucose metabolism via a mechanism similar to the sparing of glucose by oxidation of fatty acids as an alternative fuel. Indeed, the use of ketone bodies replaces most of the glucose required by the brain. Not all amino acid carbon will yield glucose; on average, 1.6 g of amino acids is required to synthesize 1 g of glucose [4]. Thus, to keep the brain supplied with glucose at rate of 110 to 120 g/day, the breakdown of 160 to 200 g of protein (close to 1 kg of muscle tissue) would be required. This is clearly undesirable, and the body limits glucose utilization to reduce the need for gluconeogenesis Continue reading >>
Ketosis Vs Ketoacidosis: Is Keto Healthy?
Because the two terms look and sound similar, many people often confuse ketoacidosis with ketosis. These conditions have very different meanings and effects on the body. One is a highly dangerous condition while the other has been shown to help you lose weight, prevent disease, and improve cognitive function. Here’s what you need to know about the difference between ketoacidosis and ketosis. What is Ketoacidosis? Ketoacidosis or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening condition that results as a complication of type one diabetes. It occurs when there are dangerously high levels of ketones and blood sugar present at the same time. Ketones are compounds that are produced when the body uses fat instead of sugar as fuel. The combination of having too many ketones and too much glucose present in your blood makes it become highly acidic. This can result in damage to the normal functioning of your kidney and liver. Ketoacidosis can develop in the body within 24 hours and requires immediate care. The condition commonly affects people with type one diabetes who do not produce enough or any insulin. People with type two diabetes can also develop the condition. Ketoacidosis can be triggered by improper diet, infection or illness, and not taking proper doses of insulin (in diabetic patients). Symptoms of ketoacidosis include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Other symptoms may include a fruity odor on the person’s breath. A person’s breathing may also become rapid and shallow (1). Ketoacidosis is the leading cause of death in people with diabetes under the age of 24. Approximately 36 percent of the people who develop ketoacidosis are under the age of 30 while 27 percent are between 30 and 50, 23 percent are between 51 and 70, and 14 percent are over 70. Studies Continue reading >>
Ketosis Versus Ketoacidosis | Diabetic Connect
Our language is amazing sometimes and the change of a letter can make all the difference in what a word means. Throw in some medical terminology and it is easy to see why we get confused. Being a fan of a low carb lifestyle, the term ketosis comes up a lot and I have to admit, when I first heard it I was afraid of it. It had keto in it and that is the root of a very scary part of diabetes. But ignorance is not always bliss and taking time to educate myself has been a great plus for me. Basically the lack of insulin is what can cause ketoacidosis putting our body in starvation mode because all the energy the body is producing in either ketones or glucose cannot get into the cells. This is why it is most common in type 1 diabetics. On a ketone strip, anything above 20 should be considered life threatening and ketoacidosis. Ketosis is normal and it's our body's back up plan. Of course glucose is the preferred energy, it's easy to burn. But when glucose is limited, the body can make enough out of the foods we eat to make the glucose exclusive parts of our body happy, while burning fat for energy for those that are happy with that. On a ketone strip it should be between 0.2-3.0 to be considered ketone adapted or in ketosis. Obviously a very different animal. So here are a variety of links to help you understand the difference. Great Chart: When done right, it can be a great tool in our diabetes management. Thank you. This is clear and helpful. I first encountered the use of Ketones in coconut oil when I read an article about a study at John's Hopkins which was using coconut oil (well, actually the MCTs in coconut oil) as a treatment for Alzheimer's. At that point my hubby was 12 years into Alzheimer's and fading fast. I had taken him to a geriatric psychiatrist who was deep Continue reading >>
Is Keto Healthy? Ketosis Vs Ketoacidosis
Is Keto Healthy? Ketosis vs Ketoacidosis When looking at a ketogenic diet and ketosis, it’s common for some people to confuse the process with a harmful, more extreme version of this state known as diabetic ketoacidosis. But there are a lot of misconceptions out there about ketosis vs ketoacidosis, and it’s time to shed some light on the subject by looking at the (very big) differences between the two. An Overview of Ketosis A ketogenic, or keto, diet is centered around the process of ketosis, so it’s important to understand exactly what ketosis is first before we get into whether or not it’s safe (spoiler: it is): Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body is primarily using fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Burning carbohydrates (glucose) for energy is the default function of the body, so if glucose is available, the body will use that first. But during ketosis, the body is using ketones instead of glucose. This is an amazing survival adaptation by the body for handling periods of famine or fasting, extreme exercise, or anything else that leaves the body without enough glucose for fuel. Those eating a ketogenic diet purposely limit their carb intake (usually between 20 and 50 grams per day) to facilitate this response. That’s why the keto diet focuses on very low carb intake, moderate to low protein intake, and high intakes of dietary fats. Lower protein is important because it prevents the body from pulling your lean muscle mass for energy and instead turns to fat. Ketone bodies are released during ketosis and are created by the liver from fatty acids. These ketones are then used by the body to power all of its biggest organs, including the brain, and they have many benefits for the body we’ll get into later. But first, let’s address a common mi Continue reading >>
Ketoacidosis Versus Ketosis
Some doctors and other medical professionals confuseketoacidosis, an extremely abnormal form of ketosis, with the normalbenign dietary ketosisassociated with ketogenic diets and fasting states in the body.They will then tell you that ketosis is dangerous. The difference between the two conditions is a matter of volume and flow rate: Benign dietary ketosisis a biochemically regulated and controlled process which results in a mild release of fatty acids and ketone bodies. Ketoacidosisis a condition in which massive, way above normal quantities of ketones are produced in an unregulated, wildly out of control biochemical situation. Heres a table with actual numbers to help show the differences in magnitude: Fact 1:Every human body maintains the blood and cellular fluids within a very narrow range between being too acidic (low pH) and too basic (high pH). If the blood pH gets out of the normal range, either too low or too high, big problems happen. Fact 2:The human pancreas is an organ which secretes insulin, a hormone that helps the body manage blood sugar and fat storage. Without insulin, the body cannot utilize glucose for fuel in the cells, AND cannot store fat in the fat cells. This is why one of the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes is unexplained weight loss. Type 1 diabetics have pancreatic damage which results in[nearly] a complete lack of insulin production, and as a consequence, their fat cells have no insulin message telling them to hold on to those fatty acids. Without that message from insulin, vast quantities of fatty acids flow out of the fat cells and are broken down in the liver into acetoacetic acid and D-3-hydroxybutyric acid (ketones). This is ketosis, butan unrestrained, abnormally excessive ketosis. The danger of keto-acidosis is in the amounts of the keton Continue reading >>
Ketoacidosis Vs. Ketosis: What's The Difference?
You may have heard the term "keto" or ketogenic floating around. So what exactly is ketoacidosis, ketosis and ketones? Here, we break it down for you. "Keto" is derived from the word ketone, a specific class of organic compounds in your body that are produced when your body burns fat instead of carbohydrates. Your body prefers to burn carbohydrates (glucose) for energy. However, if there is not enough glucose to burn, you will start burning fat instead. This process is called ketosis. Ketones circulate in the bloodstream and are used by tissues and muscles for fuel. You will excrete any ketones not used for energy in your urine. Don't Miss: Healthy Low-Carb Recipes Ketosis vs. Ketoacidosis "Ketosis is simply the presence of ketones in the blood," says Staci Freeworth, R.D., C.D.E., professor of nutrition at Bowling Green State University. "This can be caused by periods of energy imbalance, a change in diet, pregnancy or overconsumption of alcohol." Ketosis is a normal response in the body when a healthy person with a balanced diet starts fasting or severely restricting calories or carbohydrates (e.g., the super low-carb ketogenic diet). Ketosis happens when the body senses a state of starvation. Ketoacidosis is when blood levels of ketones are so high that your blood becomes too acidic. "Ketoacidosis is short for diabetic ketoacidosis and occurs in diabetics who do not make insulin or stop taking their prescribed insulin, typically people with type 1 diabetes," Freeworth says. It can lead to a diabetic coma or even death, according to the American Diabetes Association. Insulin helps transport your blood glucose (or blood sugar) to your cells and tissues. People with type 1 diabetes, and some people with type 2 diabetes, have to inject insulin because their bodies do not Continue reading >>
The Difference Between Ketosis And Ketoacidosis
When you hear these two terms it’s easy to see how they can be confused. The confusion also stems from the fact that the two are both metabolic processes involving the breakdown of fats in the body (plus they look and sound like similar words). The truth is ketosis and ketoacidosis are two completely different things. Ketosis and the Ketogenic Diet Ketosis is a normal metabolic process in which the body has a high fat-burning rate. It is a healthy and natural state your body enters when your body is running on fat rather than glucose1. The state of ketosis occurs when ketone levels are raised in the blood due to the conversion of fats into fatty acids and ketones. This happens when the body runs out of carbohydrates – usually because a person hasn’t eaten in a while, for example during fasts, or they eat a very low-carbohydrate diet – leaving little sugar to convert into glycogen. Without glycogen, the body breaks down fat cells for energy. A low-carb, high fat diet, also known as a ketogenic diet, is necessary to enter and stay in ketosis long-term. When you eat a low-carbohydrate diet, your body enters the metabolic state of ketosis within 2 days but it can vary from person to person. There are many benefits2 to being in longer-term ketosis including: lowered triglycerides levels no spikes in blood glucose levels greater mental clarity lowered blood pressure and cholesterol reduced food and sugar cravings weight loss Ketoacidosis – The Body in a State of Toxicity Ketoacidosis is a metabolic state of toxicity. It occurs when the body fails to regulate ketone production resulting in severe accumulation of keto acids which cause the pH of the blood to decrease substantially making the blood more acidic. The most common causes for ketoacidosis are Type 1 Diabete Continue reading >>
Ketosis Vs. Ketoacidosis (dka): What Is The Difference?
Let’s break it down so that you can understand exactly what ketosis is and how it differs from ketoacidosis. But the states they refer to are nothing alike. In this case, maybe mistakes are understandable. Many people who believe that ketosis is dangerous are mixing it up with another state called "ketoacidosis." The two words do sound very similar. And some people simply make mistakes. Profit motives tend to muddy up the works when it comes to getting clear, factual information about your health. Well, there are a lot of individuals and companies which all have their own goals and motivations. Where do these misperceptions come from? Here’s the thing though … that is all misinformation. You then Googled something like, "low carb dangerous" and found a list of link-bait articles informing you that low-carb is a ketogenic diet, and ketosis is a dangerous metabolic state which can be fatal. And then maybe someone said something to you like, "What are you thinking? Low-carb is a dangerous diet." If you are thinking about starting a low-carb diet, maybe you have mentioned it to some of your family or friends. By the time you finish reading this article, you will understand why low-carb is a safe diet. Continue reading >>
What Is Ketosis?
"Ketosis" is a word you'll probably see when you're looking for information on diabetes or weight loss. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? That depends. Ketosis is a normal metabolic process, something your body does to keep working. When it doesn't have enough carbohydrates from food for your cells to burn for energy, it burns fat instead. As part of this process, it makes ketones. If you're healthy and eating a balanced diet, your body controls how much fat it burns, and you don't normally make or use ketones. But when you cut way back on your calories or carbs, your body will switch to ketosis for energy. It can also happen after exercising for a long time and during pregnancy. For people with uncontrolled diabetes, ketosis is a sign of not using enough insulin. Ketosis can become dangerous when ketones build up. High levels lead to dehydration and change the chemical balance of your blood. Ketosis is a popular weight loss strategy. Low-carb eating plans include the first part of the Atkins diet and the Paleo diet, which stress proteins for fueling your body. In addition to helping you burn fat, ketosis can make you feel less hungry. It also helps you maintain muscle. For healthy people who don't have diabetes and aren't pregnant, ketosis usually kicks in after 3 or 4 days of eating less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. That's about 3 slices of bread, a cup of low-fat fruit yogurt, or two small bananas. You can start ketosis by fasting, too. Doctors may put children who have epilepsy on a ketogenic diet, a special high-fat, very low-carb and protein plan, because it might help prevent seizures. Adults with epilepsy sometimes eat modified Atkins diets. Some research suggests that ketogenic diets might help lower your risk of heart disease. Other studies show sp Continue reading >>
