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Diane Dufault asked:

>Is it unhealthy to be in a state of ketosis?  When I was younger, without
>realizing it, I followed such a diet as I felt better,  obviously being a
>gluten free diet.  (I didn't even know the word gluten at that time!)
>However, at the time I was being followed by the health department due to
>exposure to TB, and they were very concerned about ketones in my urine.  Now
>I follow the diet as I now know about Celiac Sprue and can tell from the
>taste in my mouth, that it is happening again.  Does anyone know of the
>damage done by following such a diet and having your body in ketosis
>(whatever that means)?

The following is a recent newsgroup post:

From: [log in to unmask] (Susan M. Oace)
Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Re: Ketogenic diet?
Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 17:01:24 -800

>From: [log in to unmask] (George Szilagyi)
>Need information on Ketogenic Diet?
>What is it?  How does it work?  Have grand daughter with seizures due
>to Tuberous Sclerosis, and autistic behavior.

I have no idea about the clinical use of a ketogenic diet, but I can tell you
what it is: it is a diet very low in carbohydrate and other precursors of
glucose.

When the diet contains very little carbohydrate,  the liver does not oxidize
fatty acids all the way to carbon dioxide.  Instead,  2-carbon acetate units
(partially oxidized fatty acids) are converted by the liver to "KETONE BODIES"
(beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone).  The ketone bodies are
released into the blood.  Acetone cannot be further utilized to any large
extent and is excreted (in urine, breath and perspiration).  The other ketone
bodies travel in blood to muscle, organ and brain tissue and are used for
energy (oxidized to carbon dioxide) in those tissues.

Ketone bodies in the blood have the effect of acidifying, or lowering the pH
of blood.  This may be related to the clinical effects of the ketogenic diet.
However, excessive acidification of the blood can be dangerous - even leading
to coma and death.  So, ketogenic diets should not be fooled around with
without medical supervision.
*********************************************************************
[log in to unmask]    Phone: 510-642-7266     Fax: 510-642-0535
Susan M. Oace,  Assoc. Professor of Nutrition,  Dept. Nutritional Sci.
University of California,  Berkeley, CA  94720-3104