Talk about weight loss and you’ll likely hear some buzz about ketosis. So, what is ketosis, what are its symptoms and how does it relate to weight loss? This health blurb offers a bit of insight.
Ketosis is a state of health which the keto acids, aka ketone bodies, levels in the blood and tissue accumulate due to their production beyond your body’s capacity to use them. Keto acids are generated and build up during the rapid breakdown of a large amount of fatty acids.
You may be given notice your body is in ketosis through its symptoms. A highly offensive one is acetone or fruity breath. Acetone is a type of ketone body that your lungs expel with an exhale, causing halitosis. Other symptoms indicating you might be in a state of ketosis are nausea, fatigue, brain fog, dry mouth, reduced hunger, polydipsia and excessive urination.
Fatty acids are one of your body’s secondary sources of energy, glucose being the primary. When the availability of glucose is scarce, your body turns to fatty acids and protein to make up for the deficit. And in a healthy individual, there’s plenty of fatty acids attainable via adipose tissue (body fat).
The primary goal of weight lose is reduce the amount of body fat. Basically, this fat is “second string” energy. So before it’s called up, glucose must be in short supply.
In the normal process of a healthy existence, minor insufficiency of glucose may occur causing a slight need for energy from fatty acid. In this instance, symptoms of ketosis will not occur because keto acids are produced at a relatively low rate and your kidney can expel any unused excess without a problem.
However, a couple of circumstances that do result in ketosis symptoms are starvation, fasting and a very low carbohydrate diet. So when you fail to consume enough glucose for energy in your diet, your body breaks down that fat weight you want to lose. But, you’ll probably experience weight loss ketosis with symptoms along the way.
Is weight loss ketosis detrimental to your overall health? For now, no definitive scientific answer. Yet, it may ultimately depend on your individual level of health.
Side Note: Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus throws you body into a state of ketosis as well.