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Old Thu, Oct-24-02, 16:28
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Lisa N Lisa N is offline
Posts: 12,028
 
Plan: Bernstein Diabetes Soluti
Stats: 260/-/145 Female 5' 3"
BF:
Progress: 63%
Location: Michigan
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Quote:
Originally posted by jhilgeman

> Yes, people who are starving are in ketosis, but the reverse does not hold true. The presence of ketones are not what tells the body it's starving...
You stated this already, and I already noted that I never claimed the reverse. Ketones are the result after the body thinks its starving. I understand this.



No. Ketones are produced when a person is starving. They are also produced when a person is in an advanced stage of alcoholism. They are also produced when a person is in diabetic ketoacidosis. They are also produced in the process of lipolysis. All of these conditions produce ketones but for different reasons.
In starvation, ketones are produced because the body has insufficient calories...even if the majority of the calories a person who is starving come from carbs, they will still be producing ketones. Because the body does not have sufficient calories, it turns to it's fat stores.
In alcoholism, ketones are produced because of liver damage and metabolic disturbance.
In diabetic ketoacidosis, ketones are produced because there is insufficient insulin to move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells where it can be used for energy, so the body turns to burning fat instead. The combination of high blood glucose combined with ketones in the bloodstream produces ketoacidosis. This does not occur in a non-diabetic person (and even in most diabetic persons) following a ketogenic diet because the blood sugars are kept within normal range.
In ketogenic diets, ketones are produced because there are not enough carbs for the body to use as energy, so fat is used instead, even when sufficient calories are taken in to support basal metabolic fuctions (the person is NOT starving, nor does the body believe it is starving if the diet is being followed properly); it is simply using an alternate energy source because carbs are not available. Furthermore, dietary fat and protein are inefficiently coverted to energy, so again, the body turns to its fat stores for what it needs. As I said before, the presence of ketones are not what tell the body that it is starving; the lack of sufficient calories to support basal metabolic functions are what clue the body in to the fact that it is starving. As long as caloric intake is kept above basal metabolic needs, the body will not believe it is starving or behave that way.
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