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English Comp C456 Essay

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Carbohydrates are Killing Us Softly
Thomas J. Engstrom
Western Governors University
WGU Student ID# 000529592

Carbohydrates are Killing Us Softly
The nutritional dietary consumption of carbohydrates is between 55-75% for the vast majority of the global population as their main source of food intake and energy. And the general populous continues to be misinformed by government agencies regarding what a normal, healthy diet, should be, as well as what a balanced diet looks like. Eating a low-carb high-fat, or ketogenic, diet of high fat, adequate protein and low carbohydrates can provide many health benefits as compared to the alternative of an unhealthy diet. Research suggests that a ketogenic diet builds a healthier body than …show more content…

Ketosis is the metabolic state that most of the body's energy supply comes from ketone bodies in the blood, contrasting to the state of glycolysis in which blood glucose provides most of the energy (Taubes, 2011, 140-141). Ketosis might be better known as acetone breath, a common symptom of progressing diabetes mellitus type. It is characterized by serum concentrations of ketone bodies, with low and stable levels of insulin and blood glucose. It is commonly generalized with hyper-ketonemia, which is an elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood throughout the body. Ketone bodies are formed by ketogenesis as the liver glycogen stores are depleted (Taubes, 2011, p.155). The ketone bodies used for energy are acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate, with that, the levels of ketone bodies are regulated mainly by glucagon and insulin (p.156). Most cells can then be used by both glucose and ketone bodies for fuel, and during ketosis, free fatty acids and glucose synthesis fuel the rest.
According to Mark Sisson (2009), longer-term ketosis can result from fasting or staying on a low-carbohydrate diet, and ketosis that’s deliberately induced serves as a medical intervention for epilepsy. In glycolysis, higher levels of insulin block release of fat from adipose tissues and promote storage of body fat, while the body is in ketosis, fat reserves are continually released and consumed as energy (Sisson, 2009, p.47). This is why ketosis is referred to as

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