----- "william" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 
> Don Wiss wrote: 
> > I make no mention of ketosis in my definition. I could see it listed as 
> > a variation good for diabetics and people with a cancer diagnosis. 
> > 
> > Are all the zero carb people in ketosis? Are some zero carb people 
> > dairy-free? There could be people practicing paleo-ketosis. 
> > 
> > 
> I don't know and I don't care. 

A useful reply, no doubt. 

> AFAIK ketosis is medical claptrap. All zero carb people are dairy-free. 

Wrong. Some zero carb people use butter. Check the "What is Zero Carb?" page at ZIOH: http://zeroinginonhealth.com/WhatisZC.html which includes butter, pure cream, and cheese. 

Ketosis is the state where, in the absence of dietary carbohdrate, the liver creates ketone bodies from fatty acids. Many, though not all, of the cells that would normally require glucose are able to switch over to using ketones instead. The usual definition is a state in which the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood is "elevated." Obviously, "elevated" is a comparative terms. If there are enough dietary carbs, the concentration of blood ketones falls to some baseline level, so "elevated" means anything greater than this. Some of the ketones are excreted in urine, breath, sweat, and feces. This is necessary, because when ketones are created from fatty acids, one of them, acetone, is toxic (think nail polish remover). Since we're all creating some ketones all the time, we're always excreting some acetone. A person in ketosis, however, is creating more ketones, and therefore excreting more acetone, which is why people in ketosis are often described as having a distinctive odor. People who have adapted to ketosis for a few weeks utilize ketones more efficiciently, and therefore excrete less of them, but they still must excrete acetone. Because they are utilizing ketones so well, their blood concentration of them might not be so elevated after adaptation. Such a person could be eating no carbs at all, and blood tests would show only mild ketosis. 

So yes, some paleo people are undoubtedly in continuous ketosis. 

Todd Moody