(Please note:  I originally posted this message to the list two weeks
ago, but it got lost somewhere in cyberspace.  Just after sending it, I
had to send my laptop out for service, and had no access to the file copy
to resend until now.  I see it already had an unusual amount of quoting,
but after this delay, it's probably necessary anyway.)

On Mon, 10 Dec 2001 08:09:46 -0500 Amadeus Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>
writes:

> People describe onset of ketosis like this.
> You are deprived of carbohydrates as brain and nerve fuel,
> and your symptoms are what an underfueled brain feels like.
> Brain needs approx 500 kcal carbohydrate per day.
>
> It should go away after some days (at most 4), onstantly on this
> low carb diet.
> After that brain makes enzymes which enable it to live for 50% on
> fat.
>
> The rest (some 250kcal) must come from carbohydrate, no other way.
> But these carbohydrate may come from degraded protein.
> 250kcal require some 100g protein (500g meat).
> In addition to the ordinary protein reguirements of some 40g/day.

Interesting choice of words... "degraded..."  While it's a colorful term,
it would seem to be as applicable to any portion of the digestive and
assimilation functions...  The proper term is "gluconeogenesis."  That is
the process through which the body can convert up to 58% of protein
(ingested, or cannibalized from its own tissues during starvation) into
glycogen.  But regardless of the terms, you have nicely described how the
human body can survive quite well without ANY carbohydrate intake.

As for the "symptoms" of entering ketosis...   You aren't quite correct
about the cause...  When the body loses its carbohydrate intake, it
begins to deplete the supply of glycogen in the muscles and the liver.
When the glycogen is depleted, that's when the fat conversion and
"ketosis" can begin.  However, glycogen also binds a large amount of
fluid, and as it's being consumed, all that fluid is "dumped" from the
body (in short, a lowcarb diet is diuretic).

This is one of the reasons that fluid intake is stressed (although no
more than most mainstream health authorities recommendations).  However,
while keeping the fluid intake up will prevent dehydration even, having
all that fluid flushed out of the system will also flush out electrolyte
minerals, particularly potassium.  It seems that this electrolyte
imbalance, and loss of potassium is the principle cause of "brain fog"
and headache symptoms.  This is why anybody wanting to follow a very low
carb diet should read and follow the instructions in one of the reputable
books.

For most people, all these problems (if they happen at all) will clear up
and settle down within a few days or weeks, but some simple "over the
counter" potassium supplements, or even potassium chloride "salt
substitute" can provide nearly instant relief.
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