What is ketosis and how does it work?

By now, you've probably heard all about the keto diet, one of the latest nutritional trends that promises rapid weight loss and a host of other positive side effects. It's an extremely low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that can help people thanks to a small process called ketosis ̵

1; a term you've probably seen when you've googled the keto diet. But do you know what ketosis is? Here we open it for you.

What is ketosis in any case?

Simply put, ketosis is a process your body goes through when it does not have enough glucose (sugar) to produce energy. Medical News Today. Instead, it burns fat to generate energy, and ketones begin to build up in your blood. Ketones are the acids your body uses as fuel during ketosis. The big entry here is that the extremely low intake of carbohydrates forces your body to burn its fat stores for energy instead of the sugars that it would use if it were to break down carbohydrates.

Is ketosis safe? Making your blood more acidic does not agree with you, we are not blaming you, but ketosis is safe as long as you are healthy. If you are worried about it, you can monitor your ketones while you follow the keto diet. Their monitoring makes it easy to find out if you actually have ketosis, but it's also a good idea because it can go too far, especially for people with type 1 diabetes.

This is a rare occurrence, but extremely high ketones can lead to ketoacidosis, ie if your blood becomes sour itself. It is a potentially deadly disease that can happen to diabetics who are not taking enough insulin and people who are starving. However, a non-diabetic who is on a keto diet should not have a ketone level close enough to cause ketoacidosis.

Learn more about the keto diet in this comprehensive guide to getting ketogen.