Obesity has become a hugely discussed topic as a result of the modern lifestyle for which we got adapted. Being overweight leads to many chronic diseases which may end up in fatal conditions. So, maintaining our body becomes a vital thing. Though there are various methods to improve our body’s metabolism and weight loss, ketosis is gaining increased attention nowadays. Let us look further at multiple aspects of ketosis and its effect on our health.
What is Ketosis?
Ketosis is the metabolic state achieved by the body in which the body utilizes fat instead of glucose for energy. Traditionally our body has been accustomed to using glucose for supplying power to our body. The body gets glucose by the intake of food like carbohydrates, sugar, and starchy food and the body utilizes this for normal functioning. When the body doesn’t get a proper diet, glucose level becomes low.
How Ketosis gets Initiated?
It makes the body initiate two things. The first one is gluconeogenesis, making use of stored glycogen by converting it back into glucose. When this is not sufficient to augment the body with energy, ketosis starts taking place. The liver starts producing ketosis, which helps in metabolizing fat, thus ensuring that the body gets the energy to do its work. This condition will begin when both glucose and insulin levels reduce due to lower food intake.
The ketones get accumulated in the blood, and the body’s waste disposal mechanism disposes of in the form of urine. Usually, ketosis takes place at night even during a high carb intake but in meagre amounts.
Breaking the Myth:
There is a common misconception that ketosis and ketoacidosis are the same. Ketoacidosis is a state in which excess ketones get accumulated in the blood. It often results when the body is unable to produce insulin and usually occurs due to severe type I diabetes, and sometimes due to type II diabetes as well.
Healthy people undergoing ketosis do not fall into this complication when following a recommended practice either on keto-diet or intermittent fasting. The ketogenic diet is a diet with very low carbs, say 50 grams/day. This diet helps to stimulate the fat metabolism of our body. The nutrient content in the food may vary, depending on individual health. So, ketosis and ketoacidosis are entirely different.
Intermittent Fasting for Ketosis:
The Keto-diet, which is one of the methods to get into ketosis, is nothing but following a very low-carb dietary measure. Intermittent fasting is also one of the possible ways to achieve ketosis. In intermittent fasting, the cyclic pattern between successive periods of eating is significant. Different types of fasting exist like water fasting, fat fasting, alternate-day fasting, 16/8 fasting, etc.
Since the intake of the food gets restricted, the body gets forced to make use of fat for energy, thus enabling the ketosis state. Many claims that intermittent fasting could achieve this ketosis, especially while following fat fasting. It is because fat fasting combines both intake of fat-rich food and low calorie along with fasting. And the benefits are promising as they helped to reap so many positive results.
Additional Benefits of Fasting:
Intermittent fasting not only stimulates ketosis but also found an effective way of getting cured of chronic ailments. The primary being the reversal of type II diabetes, reducing inflammation, burning unnecessary fat, weight loss, etc… Many researchers have found that fasting induces the natural repair processes of the body. Fasting itself is an evolutionary phenomenon for which the body got adopted when there is no supply of food.
Effects of Ketosis:
Studies and clinical trials suggest that ketosis could have a profound impact on the treatment of many diseases. Children with epilepsy were found to reduce seizures while on a keto diet. A Keto diet reduces the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other diseases caused due to obesity to a significant extent. But people following ketosis by diet or through fasting may get affected by keto flu. It is because the body is not in a state to achieve fat metabolism. People would experience mild headaches, dizziness, stomach ache, fatigue, etc. But when practiced in a recommended manner, it does produce the desired results after the body gets adapted to it. This adaptation period may differ slightly from person to person.
The Finishing Line:
Many studies have found that ketosis induces only positive effects on a healthy person. But this may cause effects in people suffering from ailments. So, it is always best to get advice from the doctor to know the correct way for inducing ketosis. Nevertheless, ketosis has been found to bring an immense effect on losing weight. Therefore, many have started paying attention to this method to achieve much-needed positive results.
