people may even be able to consume other dairy products, such as cheese or raw milk with no problem, while it may be a barrier for people with sensitivities to dairy. The most effective measuring tool for
determining whether you are in a state of nutritional ketosis is either monitoring the blood ketone, beta hydroxybutyrate, or the breath ketone, acetone. These measurement tools are accurate and can be found online. For the sake of cost the breath analysis seems to be more affordable.
Data from animal and human studies
has demonstrated an increase in cogni- tion, memory, and mental performance when people are in a mild ketotic state (blood ketone reading of approximately 0.5 millimolar and higher). An ideal blood ketone reading of 1.0-3.0 millimolar is very beneficial and clearly demonstrates a state of ketosis. When fasting, ketones can reach a level of 5-7 millimolar or higher.
Disease Prevention with Ketosis Since the early 1900’s the high fat, low
carbohydrate diet was the primary go-to prescription for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and epilepsy. Yet in today’s world it is hardly thought of as an option in the treatment of chronic disease despite clinical evidence.
Type II Diabetes
If thinking back to our ancestral diets, often referred to as Paleolithic diets, it is impossible to know exactly what they were consuming, however it is safe to assume that it was plants, animals, fish, seeds and nuts. It is certain that it was not what the majority of Americans or Mainer’s consume today, the standard American diet, consist- ing of highly processed, high carbohydrate, low nutrient dense foods. By implementing a ketogenic diet we stop the insult of foods that elevate glucose, hemoglobin A1C and insulin, which are present in insulin resis- tance/type 2 diabetes, and we provide an environment within the body for utilization of the alternative source of fuel, ketones.
Weight Loss
The implementation of the ketogenic diet can help a great deal with weight loss by switching a person from being primarily a sugar burner to a fat burner. Many of us have excess fat storage secondary to our ex- cessive carbohydrate consumption. Turning on your body’s ability to burn fat is advanta- geous for weight loss because we are finally able to burn our excess fat stores. The bacteria in our gut play an impor- tant role in our health and weight man- agement. Studies have demonstrated that a change to a ketogenic diet promotes a proper ratio of intestinal bacteria that when imbalanced can contribute to the develop- ment of increased weight gain and obesity. This is just another factor to consider in your choice of a ketogenic diet to help with your weight loss goal.
Epilepsy
One study out of John Hopkins exam- ined 600 patients who had a history of 20 seizures a day. After implementation of a ke- togenic diet close to one third had complete reversal, one third had a reduction in oc- currence of seizures and the other one third experienced no effect. Close to 67% of the patients in the study demonstrated improve- ment. If a drug had that effect it would be considered a blockbuster.
One of the interesting things to con- sider is that as medications became a staple to treat illness this ketone dietary approach took a back seat and today it is almost completely unheard of in conventional medicine. However, I believe with the rise of functional medicine, this diet will see resurgence. Educated physicians and practi- tioners will begin to recommend the ketone dietary approach because of its superior- ity in addressing some of the foundational problems in our standard American diet.
Ketosis vs. Ketoacidosis: Warning to Insulin Dependent Diabetics
Ketosis and Ketoacidosis are not one in
the same. Ketosis occurs when moderately elevated levels of ketones occur simultane- ously with LOW blood sugar. Ketoacido- sis occurs most often in patients who are insulin dependent diabetics. When these individuals have elevated levels of glucose and do not have the proper amount of insu- lin present in the body to shuttle the glucose into the cells for the production of energy, the body begins to break down fat into ketones as an alternate source of fuel. In this state of elevated blood sugar paired simul- taneously with extremely elevated ketones (>20 millimolar) the result is ketoacidosis, a dangerous metabolic state that can result in coma or death. This is not to say that insulin dependent diabetics cannot improve with a ketogenic diet. Some can, it is just critical that they do so under observation of a physician who understands the differences in the biochem- istry of ketosis vs. ketoacidosis and can implement a plan that is safe and effective. Switching to a low carbohydrate diet can result in better regulation of blood glucose as well as reduce the requirement of insulin.
Conclusion
Ketosis is a natural, inherent evolutionary process that occurs in our body and makes sense due to our body’s large amount of stored fuel as fat, our body’s small reserve of carbohydrate (glycogen), and our bodies limited storage of protein. When imple- mented and monitored properly a ketogenic diet and developing a state of Ketosis can be a great approach to improving your over- all health both with prevention of disease and enhancement of health.
Your Health Detective, Dr. Rudy Mueller, DC IFMCP. See ad on page 23.
12 Essential Living Maine ~ January/February 2015
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