Ketosis diet, when the body uses fat as energy

Have you ever heard the word "ketosis" or "ketosis diet"? Usually ketosis is associated with diabetes or weight loss. Why? When the body can't use sugar or glucose, which usually occurs in people with diabetes or who severely limit their food intake, ketosis (using fat as energy) can occur in the body. Is this ketosis diet effective or even dangerous? Find out here.

What is ketosis?

Ketosis is a normal metabolic process. When your body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to burn as energy for cells, your body burns your fat reserves instead. This condition is known as ketosis. As a result, compounds called ketones are produced. Ketones are a byproduct of fat metabolism.

If you adopt a healthy diet with a balanced diet, your body will have more control over how much fat you burn. So, your body will not produce and use ketones. However, if you severely limit your food intake and your body has no carbohydrate reserves, the body will use fat as energy (ketosis) and produce ketones.

Ketosis usually occurs when you exercise for a long time, if you severely limit your carbohydrate intake, during pregnancy, fasting, when you are starving, and in people with diabetes who can't use insulin properly.

How to use ketosis for weight loss

Because during ketosis the body will burn fat as energy, this can be used to lose weight. One diet that takes advantage of this condition is the ketogenic diet. In a ketogenic diet, your carbohydrate intake will be very low (only 5%), otherwise your fat intake will be high (up to 75%), and your protein intake will be moderate (by 20%).

This low carbohydrate intake allows the body to use fat for energy. Usually you can experience ketosis when your carbohydrate intake is less than 50 grams per day. To achieve this, of course, you must avoid foods with high sugar levels, such as candy, cakes, and sweet drinks.

When your carbohydrate intake is very low, insulin levels drop, and large amounts of fatty acids are released by the body. These fatty acids will then be burned into energy and produce ketones as energy for body cells and also the brain.

In this way, you can lose weight faster. This has been proven in a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008. This study found that obese men who were on a ketogenic diet for four weeks experienced a weight loss of about 5.4 kg. People on this diet can consume fewer calories without feeling hungry.

Can using fat for energy (ketosis) be dangerous?

Ketosis is normal in your body. However, this will be dangerous if it produces excess ketone compounds in the body. High levels of ketones in the body can cause dehydration and make chemical compounds in the blood imbalance.

The content of glucose and ketones in the bloodstream becomes high. This can turn the blood into dangerous acids. This condition is called ketoacidosis. People with diabetes can develop ketoacidosis when there is little insulin in the body or when they are dehydrated.

We recommend that you consult your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms of ketoacidosis.