Ketosis
The term ketosis refers to a condition in which the body uses fats instead of sugars as its primary fuel source.
In this nutritional state, the liver breaks down fats and produces small molecules called ketones.
Our brain cannot use regular dietary fats as an energy source, but it can utilize ketones.
These ketones can enter the mitochondria of brain cells without the need for insulin (unlike glucose) and still provide energy.
The longer one remains in nutritional ketosis, the more the enzymes that burn ketones are upregulated: in other words, they increase facilitating the body’s use of ketones.
In this way, the body shifts its metabolism towards a greater reliance on fats for energy purposes. Not only is ketosis not harmful, but it also triggers mechanisms of self-repair and detoxification within the body. It’s an ancient survival method, and our bodies have always been equipped with it.
In ancient times, for example, food stores would diminish in winter, reducing carbohydrate availability; at that point, human metabolism would begin to burn fats.
Thus, ketosis is a physiological mechanism of the body that presents no danger.
Ketosis vs. Ketoacidosis
So why is ketosis often feared and misunderstood? This is likely due to the confusion between nutritional ketosis and ketoacidosis.
Ketoacidosis is characterized by an excessively low (and therefore too acidic) blood pH. This occurs in people with type 1 diabetes, as ketones, being mildly acidic, can acidify the blood if they are present in large amounts.
This event should not be taken lightly, as it can lead to diabetic coma in diabetic patients.
However, nutritional ketosis is not the same as diabetic ketoacidosis.
The latter is a pathological condition that only occurs in conjunction with diabetes.
Ketoacidosis can develop after a meal high in carbohydrates. In diabetic individuals, without an insulin injection, glucose cannot enter the cells, causing dangerously high blood glucose levels.
Elevated glucose is toxic, and cells without glucose risk literally starving, so the body enters a crisis mode, rapidly pumping ketones into the bloodstream to provide fuel to cells that can absorb them without insulin.
Ketone levels rise to the point that they acidify the blood, leading to acidosis.
This explains why, if you are perfectly healthy, you are not at risk of entering ketoacidosis simply through dietary means.
Additionally, it is not necessary to remain in a state of nutritional ketosis permanently to enjoy its benefits.
In fact, entering and exiting ketosis can be more beneficial, as the body adapts to every stimulus.
If you stay in nutritional ketosis, the body will eventually become less sensitive to its effects, reducing its efficacy over time.
On the other hand, by stimulating the body with continuous changes, we can continue to reap the benefits of this ancient remedy.
Conclusion
Modern sources highlight that fasting was historically used as the primary method for treating epilepsy.
Today, science supports intermittent fasting as a complementary approach to treating heart disease, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s, for example.
Furthermore, almost all religions include some form of fasting as a practice for purification.
The truth, as always, lies in moderation.
Nutritional ketosis and the ketogenic diet are highly effective tools for managing certain conditions
but should always be supervised by qualified medical professionals.
On the other hand, with a predominantly Western nutritional style, surrounded by processed sugar-laden foods, incorporating intermittent fasting once or twice a week can be an effective strategy for eliminating toxins and reducing inflammation.
It is estimated that over our lifetime, each of us consumes tons of food, and to think that this has no impact on our health is to close our eyes and neglect self-care.