As you know, the body is able to receive nutrients not only from food consumed, but also from the stores of accumulated subcutaneous fat. At the same time, glucose and ketone bodies begin to actively break down, providing cells with energy. The condition that gives rise to such processes is known in medicine as ketosis.
Ketosis - what is it?
During the breakdown of carbohydrate-containing nutrients, glucose is actively produced in the human body. The latter acts as an indispensable source of energy, which is required to maintain the health of all organs and systems. An acute lack of glucose triggers a process such as ketosis. This is a breakdown of previously accumulated body fats. The reaction is activated due to the production of ketonic acid by the liver. Further progress of this condition depends on the individual metabolic processes in each individual person. Any metabolic disturbances, the presence of diseases that contribute to the activation of ketosis, in particular diabetes mellitus, can lead to severe poisoning of the body. There are cases when ketoacidosis in diabetes mellitus ended in death. But we will discuss this phenomenon in more detail below.
Symptoms
Ketosis is a condition characterized by the following symptoms:
- general weakness;
- nausea;
- regular gagging;
- frequent, profuse urination.
Ketosis in humans - what is it? Against the background of the above phenomena, dehydration may develop. Then comes the effect of acute thirst. With complications of ketosis, the smell of acetone occurs during breathing and urination. In case of severe metabolic failures, a healthy breathing rhythm is disrupted. A person often takes deep breaths and releases air from the lungs with noise.
Can ketosis be intentionally activated?
So we found out that ketosis in humans is what it is. What does such an organism reaction begin with? You can call it intentionally by sitting on a low-carb diet. The main goal of such diet programs is weight loss in the shortest possible time period. Power systems of a presented nature are in great demand among celebrities, people who need to get to the public in a smart way. Ketose diets are also practiced by bodybuilders to reduce body fat shortly before performances.
How dangerous is being in a state of ketosis during a diet?
According to nutritionists, the advantages of the ketogenic method of losing weight far exceed its disadvantages. During the first weeks of fasting, metabolic changes occur in the body. At this time, there is a somewhat blurred consciousness, as well as general fatigue. However, as soon as the body adapts to the changing conditions, the main source of energy is split fat stores. In this case, a person usually has an influx of strength, and the condition becomes even more awake than with the use of foods rich in carbohydrates.
The problem with a ketone diet may be a lack of trace elements. In order to avoid negative health effects, in this case, take vitamin complexes and preparations containing minerals. Also, during ketose starvation, it is important to eat green vegetables, rice, sweet potatoes, pasta made from durum wheat.
Ketosis in children
In babies, ketosis can develop when mistakes are made in the preparation of the diet. An excess of fats in food or long periods of fasting leads to the development of a pathological condition. Ketosis in children can also form against the background of some infectious, somatic and endocrine ailments.
The condition manifests itself in babies with regular bouts of vomiting, which occur at approximately the same intervals. The appearance of the development of ketosis in a child allows the appearance of a characteristic aroma of acetone during urination, as well as cramping attacks of pain in the abdomen.
Ketoacidosis in diabetes
In diabetes mellitus, the development of ketosis is associated with an insufficient amount of insulin in the blood. In this case, the body accumulates significant amounts of glucose. However, due to insulin deficiency, the nutrient does not break down and does not saturate body cells. To compensate for carbohydrate starvation, the body starts the process of splitting amino acids under the influence of enzymes that are produced in the liver. The conversion of fatty acids to the so-called ketone bodies begins. Subsequently, due to metabolic disorders, a person needs regular administration of insulin. Otherwise, complete depletion of the body occurs - ketoacidosis. It can end with a coma, and later the death of a patient with diabetes.
Ketosis and ketoacidosis in diabetes can be caused by:
- making mistakes in maintaining the diet prescribed by the nutritionist;
- starvation or abuse of foods that contain an abundance of easily digestible carbohydrates;
- a decrease in the number of necessary insulin doses, other medications, which reduce blood sugar;
- prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
Ketosis with alcohol intoxication
A condition of ketosis can develop against the background of excessive drinking. In this case, the process can be activated for several reasons:
- malfunctions of the liver under the influence of alcohol, which are expressed in excessive synthesis of ketone bodies;
- partial or complete starvation during periods of hard drinking;
- insufficient removal of ketone bodies from the body as a result of dehydration.
Ketosis in cows
The presented condition can develop not only in humans, but also in animals, in particular cows. The disease causes a decrease in milk yield by 10-15%, which leads to losses for farmers. The progress of the pathological condition in the cow's body leads to a reduction in the period of productive use of the animal. In some cases, the result of the development of ketosis is the transient death of cattle, disruptions in the hotel and, as a result, the need to cull dairy cows for meat.
Ketosis in cows can develop against the background of:
- excessive feeding of the animal with concentrated feed with a lack of hay and fresh root crops in the diet;
- overfeeding a cow with protein food during milking;
- feeding livestock feed of poor quality, in which there is an abundance of butyric acids.
To eliminate the pathological condition, the animal is transferred to feeding with high-quality hay, root crops. Molasses is introduced into the diet. Cows, in which ketosis develops, cease to feed with silage, other concentrated products.
Treatment
Ketosis is a condition for which elimination does not require targeted therapy in a medical institution. To bring the body back to normal, it is only necessary to restore good nutrition. A person also needs a plentiful drink and a good rest. At the same time, when signs of the condition appear in insulin-dependent people, the latter must consult a doctor. Indeed, in this case, the development of ketoacidosis can be life threatening.
Finally
So we examined what ketosis is. Symptoms, treatment for the onset of this condition are now known to you. As you can see, ketosis is called the processes in the body, with the activation of which there is a progressive breakdown of subcutaneous fat in order to provide body cells with energy. The reaction starts with a lack of carbohydrate nutrition.
In fact, ketosis is not life threatening. Only the excessive formation of ketone bodies, which carry acetone compounds, can have a negative effect on health. With their significant accumulation in the body, ketoacidosis can occur - a failure in metabolism, a severe form of which can be fatal. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant and to know the measure when observing ketone diets.