On Thu, 8 Feb 2001 09:56:44 -0500, Todd Moody <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>On Thu, 8 Feb 2001, Phosphor wrote:
>
>> is the conversion one-to-one or less efficient, ie how many grams of
>>amino
>> acids it takes to produce one gram of glucose?

About 1 gram protein makes about as much energy as carbohydrate.
(both have about 2.4 kcal per gram). Some of the amino acids are made to
glucose, some other enter the energy pathway at a different was, as far as I
recall. Therefore 1 g protein would require a lower percentage of thiamin to
process.

>> if in low fat diets ketones are excreted as a by-product of fatty acid
>> metabolism, is there any significant by-product - healthy or unhealthy -
>> from amino-acid gluconeogenesis?
>
 ..
3. Ammonia Toxicity. One common metabolite of nitrogen that is formed from
many nitrogen-containing compounds, and is used as a source of nitrogen for
biosynthesis, is ammonia. High levels of ammonia are, however, quite toxic.
The reason for this toxicity is shown in Figure 39. Brain appears to be the
organ that is sensitive to high levels of ammonia. ...
See http://www.zonehome.com/met/metprotnit.htm

regards, Amadeus