My love readers, the website/blog update has run into some snags. Rather than continuing to maintain yous waiting, though, I’m going to lay out novel posts in addition to I’ll worry virtually transitioning them over afterward on. And since it’s been a few months since I lastly posted anything of substance, I’ve decided to drib this enormous, enormous post service on yous to brand upward for that lost time—and it mightiness have got yous as long to read it. Sorry virtually that, but hey, I haven’t written anything meaningful since May, so, depending on your betoken of view, this post service is either a gift or a punishment. As I’ve said inwards the past, if you’re an insomniac or a cubicle dweller amongst lots of fourth dimension to kill, you’re welcome. (The repose of you, travel larn yourself a loving cup of java or tea, come upward back, in addition to larn comfy.)
I’ve been pregnant to write this post service for over a year, but it’s such a large topic in addition to so much tin give notice travel incorrect that the idea of tackling it all was plenty to brand me not write it. But it’s gotten to the betoken that I’m tired plenty of seeing the same questions asked in addition to the same myths propagated over in addition to over on diverse keto in addition to depression carb forums that I’ve decided this needs to live done, no thing how painful I mightiness discovery it. Because seeing nonsense in addition to fearmongering regarding the role of poly peptide inwards depression carb or ketogenic diets is fifty-fifty to a greater extent than painful. So if finally managing to organize my thoughts into some sort of coherent prose agency I never have got to read the phrase, “too much poly peptide turns into sugar” ever again, it volition live worth it.
So that’s what’s on tap today, kids: Gluconeogenesis.
That’s right, friends, it’s fourth dimension to create some myth-busting surrounding the whacked-out notion that protein—lean protein, inwards particular (like a skinless chicken breast, or tuna canned inwards water)—is the metabolic equivalent of chocolate cake. (Or cotton fiber candy, or pasty bears, or whatever other insanely sugary thing that mightiness enhance your blood glucose in addition to insulin far to a greater extent than than poly peptide does.)
Of all the myths in addition to misinformation I wishing nosotros could kill, strap to a block of concrete, in addition to force off the side of a boat inwards real deep, shark-infested waters, the poly peptide = refined saccharify thing is closed to the top. In the LCHF world, I regard many under-eating protein, especially when obese loss is the goal. Not weight loss, but fat loss. ‘Cuz, let’s facial expression upward it: when people say they desire to “lose weight,” what they mean is that they desire to lose fat. They desire to live leaner. As many a chronic dieter tin give notice confirm—particularly those who chronically follow depression calorie, low-protein diets—you tin give notice lose plenty of “weight,” but unless yous retain your lean musculus tissue and/or add to a greater extent than lean tissue, yous mightiness terminate upward TOFI—thin outside, obese inside.
Ain’t no i got fourth dimension for that!
So I’m going to create my best to verbalise virtually the scientific discipline inwards layperson-friendly terms, in addition to create what my destination ever is inwards writing virtually this stuff: to explicate it the way I would desire someone to explicate it to me, if I were novel to all this.
Before nosotros larn into things, allow me to say upfront that I don’t empathise everything virtually this topic. I have got many unanswered questions, myself. But inwards the hopes of dispelling growing fears around a myth that has gotten completely out of hand inwards KetoLand™, I’m going to percentage the piddling fighting of cognition I create have got amongst anyone who happens to stumble upon this post. If yous know someone who’s inwards demand of a smack upside the ketone-fueled caput inwards regard to today’s topic, delight experience gratuitous to send them the link to this post service if yous discovery it educational, or percentage it wherever yous think appropriate. Not only volition I endeavour to explicate things clearly, but I volition include links to several helpful posts from other people, most of whom are way smarter than I am, in addition to who travel to a greater extent than deeply into the published enquiry on this. (So if you’re interested inwards to a greater extent than of the technical details, read through the posts I’ll live linking to at the terminate of this.)
Oooookay, hither nosotros go!
Knowledge Bombs
Before nosotros fifty-fifty larn into gluconeogenesis (GNG), let’s encompass a pair of basic things so nosotros tin give notice maintain our heads virtually us.
First:
It is truthful that most amino acids tin give notice live converted into glucose. (Leucine in addition to lysine cannot. More on this inwards a bit.) But yous know what else tin give notice live converted into glucose? Glycerol. The glycerol molecule from triglycerides (fats). Triglycerides—the shape that dietary fats take—consist of iii obese acids joined to a glycerol molecule (hence their name, tri-glyceride). When triglycerides are broken apart (such as needs to fall out inwards club to liberate the obese acids so they tin give notice live burned/oxidized), you’re left amongst private obese acids in addition to the glycerol. The obese acids larn burned or used for another purpose, in addition to ii glycerols tin give notice live combined to brand i glucose molecule. Yes, yous read that correctly: the glycerol backbones from ii triglycerides tin give notice brand glucose. This isn’t something that happens to a huge extent, but it can happen. Funny how yous never take heed virtually this possibility when people are alert yous non to swallow to a greater extent than than twenty grams of poly peptide inwards a meal, but regard null incorrect amongst encouraging yous to glug downward a loving cup of java loaded amongst 400 calories of butter in addition to kokosnoot oil.
So if you’re worried virtually GNG from “too much protein,” in addition to then yous should also live worried virtually it from likewise much fat. (But the truth is, yous shouldn’t worry virtually GNG from either of these things.)
Second:
Proteins in addition to amino acids have got many possible fates inwards the body. It is non a binary alternative between:
- Turn into muscle
- Turn into glucose
No, no, no, no, no.
With poly peptide typically taking such an undeserved beating inwards keto circles, let’s have got a await at some of the vital functions of proteins in addition to private amino acids:
- Skeletal musculus construction (e.g., biceps, glutes, quadriceps, triceps)
- Smooth musculus construction (e.g., muscles lining the GI tract in addition to blood vessels)
- Connective tissue construction (e.g., ligaments, tendons)
- Bone construction (bones ain’t but calcium, folks)
- Structure of hair, skin, in addition to nails
- Hormones or edifice blocks for hormones (e.g., insulin, glucagon, thyroxine [thyroid hormone], human increment hormone)
- Enzymes (which work concern human relationship for but virtually every procedure inwards every tissue inwards your body; yous are in all likelihood most familiar amongst digestive enzymes, but at that spot are about viii hundred kazillion enzymes inwards the trunk that create all sorts of other things, in addition to they are all proteins)
- Building blocks for neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine)
- Antibodies (immune organisation – the antibodies yous have got to measles, chicken pox, mumps, polio, or whatever else, are proteins)
- Energy substrate – they tin give notice live used for fuel, either via gluconeogenesis or past times beingness converted into things that feed into the biochemical procedure past times which our cells generate unloose energy (more on this inwards a bit)
So, yous see, at that spot is a lot for poly peptide to do.
Protein is so, so underrated, I cannot tell you! There’s plenty to encompass inwards this post service without going into the details on that, but but know that if yous are using a depression carb or ketogenic diet—or whatever other diet, for that matter—with a destination of obese loss, poly peptide is your best friggin’ friend. You already know yous demand to maintain carbs depression inwards club to maintain insulin low-ish in addition to live a “fat burner” rather than a “sugar burner.” But if yous overdo it on dietary fat, sure, you’ll soundless live a obese burner, but you’ll live burning the obese from your fork, non from your fanny. So if you’re having a hard fourth dimension losing trunk obese fifty-fifty on a depression carb diet, cutting dorsum a fighting on fat. Give your trunk a argue to tap into its ain stores. The i thing yous don’t desire to cutting dorsum on is protein. (Just to clarify, people using a ketogenic diet as medical therapy for a specific status mightiness have got a argue to moderate poly peptide intake. This is a dissimilar story from obese loss!)
We’ll larn to gluconeogenesis inwards a bit, I promise. First, let’s await at the fate of amino acids as unloose energy substrates—that is, fuel.
Fates of Dietary Amino Acids
“Since amino acids tin give notice non live stored inwards the trunk for afterward use, whatever amino acid non required for immediate biosynthetic needs is deaminated [nitrogen is removed] in addition to the carbon skeleton is used as metabolic fuel (10-20 % inwards normal conditions) or converted into obese acids via acetyl CoA. The master copy products of the catabolism of the carbon skeleton of the amino acids are pyruvate, oxaloacetate, α-ketoglutarate, succinyl CoA, fumarate, acetyl CoA in addition to acetoacetyl CoA.” (H.D. Urquiza Hernandez, MD, PhD)
From the listing above, oxaloacetate, α-ketoglutarate, succinyl CoA, fumarate, in addition to acetyl CoA can all feed into the Krebs cycle, which is the procedure past times which ATP (energy) is generated inwards the mitochondria. (In biochem speak, they are called “Krebs cycle intermediates.”) The carbon atoms from amino acids tin give notice live converted into these “energy precursors,” in addition to the nitrogen atoms tin give notice live turned into urea (a waste materials product) in addition to excreted, or they tin give notice live used to construct nitrogen-containing compounds, such as the “nitrogenous bases” that are constituent of the physical construction of your deoxyribonucleic acid double helixes. (Pyruvate tin give notice live converted into acetyl CoA, which feeds into the Krebs cycle.)
I suspect the usage of amino acids as Krebs intermediates is largely responsible for the “meat sweats”—the thermic outcome of poly peptide (when yous larn genuinely hot after eating a real large amount of protein), via uncoupling, but that is a topic for the truthful nerds amidst yous in addition to most of yous tin give notice in all likelihood ignore this. But if yous know anything virtually this, delight tell me inwards the comments. I would love to empathise why meat has such a high thermic effect, in addition to if it is related inwards whatever way to mitochondrial uncoupling.
Bottom line: think dorsum to the listing of functions/fates for proteins & amino acids. It’s definitely non express to “build your biceps” or “turn into sugar.”
On to Gluconeogenesis
We demand to define our term before nosotros larn started.
Let’s intermission the discussion down: Gluconeogenesis.
Gluco – glucose
Neo – new
Genesis – creation
So gluconeogenesis is but that: the creation of novel glucose. For our purposes, it is the creation of glucose from other molecules that are not, in addition to were not, glucose—such as amino acids in addition to glycerol.
Do non confuse GNG amongst glycogenolysis, which breaks downward thusly:
Glycogeno – glycogen
Lysis – breaking apart
You all know glycogen is the stored shape of refined saccharify inwards the body, right? (Stored inwards the liver in addition to skeletal muscles.) Glycogen is but long strands of glucose molecules joined together, amongst smaller strands branching out from longer master copy strands. Bottom line: glycogen is but lots of glucose molecules attached to each other. Glycogenolysis is the splitting of glycogen into private glucose molecules. It is dissimilar from gluconeogenesis inwards that the glucose that comes from glycogen was already glucose. (Some of the glucose that winds upward stored as glycogen may have got initially started out as amino acids or glycerol, but for the sake of simplicity, let’s but focus on the fact that inwards the end, it’s glucose. The betoken is, when yous intermission downward glycogen, that is non GNG, because it started out as glucose inwards the initiative of all place. This is an of import betoken we’ll revisit inwards a bit.)
Here’s an excerpt from a post service past times Amber in addition to Zooko on Ketotic.org. I had the pleasance of coming together them both at the Ancestral Health Symposium lastly year, after having been a fan of their meticulously referenced writing for a pair of years:
- "How does excess GNG send upon blood refined saccharify levels? Blood refined saccharify levels are of import because likewise much refined saccharify inwards the blood at a given fourth dimension tin give notice displace harm to cells.
- Does producing to a greater extent than glucose via GNG ultimately atomic number 82 to either using to a greater extent than glucose for fuel, or storing it as fat?
So when people worry virtually poly peptide causing excess GNG, what they are genuinely worrying virtually is that poly peptide volition adversely send upon their blood refined saccharify levels, or that they are going to usage to a greater extent than glucose for fuel than they intended, or that they volition store it as unwanted fat.”
I would add together to this that apart from protein’s influence on blood glucose, people are worried virtually its influence on insulin. (Because as I wrote virtually inwards the insulin series, it’s pretty mutual for people to have got normal glucose, but sky-high insulin, in addition to chronically elevated insulin has some pretty gnarly effects totally unrelated to what’s going on amongst glucose.)
With regard to GNG, all of these are valid points, in addition to it’s completely reasonable for us to wonder virtually them. It is non reasonable, however, to start equating protein—lean protein, inwards particular—with angel nutrient cake.
Just because amino acids can live converted into glucose doesn’t hateful they will be. Gluconeogenesis doesn’t fall out “just ‘cuz.”
In a well-regulated body, GNG doesn’t fall out because it can; it happens when it needs to. The procedure is demand-driven, non supply-driven.
What does that mean? It agency that but because at that spot are amino acids coming into the body, in addition to some of those amino acids can live converted into glucose doesn’t hateful they volition be. And it especially doesn’t hateful this conversion volition fall out instantly upon digestion. Remember what nosotros said: the glycerol backbone of triglycerides (fats!) tin give notice live made into glucose, too, but nobody seems all that worried virtually this when they’re holler for for extra butter on top of their butter, amongst a side of butter.
Don’t confuse a rising inwards blood glucose amongst gluconeogenesis. Protein nosotros swallow doesn’t automatically in addition to instantaneously travel glucose.
News flash: as stated earlier, the amino acids leucine in addition to lysine cannot live converted into glucose. They are “ketogenic amino acids,” because they tin give notice live converted into ketones, but non glucose. Does that hateful yous should run to your favorite supplement store in addition to larn a bunch of leucine in addition to lysine inwards club to boost your ketone levels? No. Because these aren’t automatically converted into ketones—in the same way that the glucogenic amino acids are non automatically converted into glucose.
The amino acids alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, histidine, methionine, proline, serine, in addition to valine are exclusively glucogenic. They cannot live converted into ketones but they can live converted into glucose, when the trunk needs to a greater extent than glucose than it has readily available.
The amino acids isoleucine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, in addition to tyrosine are glucogenic and ketogenic: they tin give notice live turned into glucose or ketones, whichever the trunk happens to need.
Hat tip to Amber & Zooko for this excerpt from Glucagon is a “counter-regulatory” hormone to insulin. Whereas insulin lowers blood glucose, glucagon raises it. One of the ways it raises it is through glycogenolysis—breaking downward liver glycogen into private glucose molecules in addition to releasing them into the bloodstream. (I told yous we’d come upward dorsum to this.) This is totally fine; glucagon is supposed to create this. If glucagon didn’t do this, you’d in all likelihood kicking the bucket from hypoglycemia inwards your sleep, or after to a greater extent than than virtually ii days of fasting. (No thing how “keto” yous are, some of your cells volition ever demand some glucose. Think virtually it: there’s a argue your BG never goes to zero, fifty-fifty when you’re awash inwards ketones.) In club to maintain BG from going dangerously low, glucagon comes to the rescue to raise BG. Not to spike it, heed you, but to remainder the blood glucose-lowering effects of insulin, so that, on balance, your BG remains normal when yous swallow protein. (And also so that it remains normal when yous swallow null at all.)
Protein elevates insulin, which lowers blood glucose, but thankfully glucagon is at that spot to tell the liver to release a fighting of glucose, thus keeping your BG steady. (I say elevates insulin because I decline to usage the discussion “spikes,” because poly peptide does raise insulin in addition to BG, but these relatively little in addition to totally physiologically NORMAL rises hardly qualify as “spikes.” And whatever rising inwards insulin in addition to BG from protein—even a low-fat protein, such as cottage cheese, skinless chicken, or whey protein—is null compared to those most people would regard from, say, cotton fiber candy or refined saccharify cubes.)
Bill Lagakos, PhD, who writes the fantabulous Calories Proper blog, penned i of my favorite lines of all fourth dimension on this subject: “Dietary protein-derived amino acids have got a purpose, in addition to that purpose is non carbs.”
Protein takes fourth dimension to digest
The glucose inwards the bloodstream instantly after poly peptide consumption is non the production of gluconeogenesis. Assuming piddling to no concurrent refined saccharify ingestion, the glucose inwards the blood after poly peptide consumption comes from glycogen. (Liver glycogen, specifically. Glycogen stored inwards muscles tin give notice only live used to ability action inwards those muscles. It cannot live broken downward in addition to released into the bloodstream. Only liver glycogen does this.) Because that’s what glucagon does: it tells the liver to intermission glycogen downward into glucose in addition to release it into the blood so yous don’t travel past times out after eating a large steak in addition to null but a large steak. (You know what else glucagon does? It stimulates lipolysis in addition to ketogenesis—two things most of us love. More on this inwards a bit.)
Protein takes a long fourth dimension to digest. There’s a argue it’s so satiating. (People say obese is the most filling in addition to satiating. You’ve in all likelihood seen this everywhere: “If you’re hungry, swallow to a greater extent than fat!” I have got non flora this to live truthful at all. Protein is what fills me up, or perhaps poly peptide amongst fat, but fat, past times itself, does null for me. Massive amounts of butter don’t fill upward me up. Massive amounts of mayonnaise don’t fill upward me up. But a large steak? Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 large pork chop? I’ll live plenty total after that, fifty-fifty without adding whatever extra obese to it.) YMMV, but if your digestion is so quick that within thirty minutes, a 12-ounce steak has been alone dispatched past times your tum acid, moved on to the little intestine, and the private amino acids have got been absorbed into the portal circulation to live delivered to your liver, and the liver has converted them into glucose, and they’ve been sent out into your bloodstream—all within thirty fast minutes—then you, my friend, should accuse scientists to report you, because yous are quite the physiological oddity!
Bottom line: information technology DOESN’T HAPPEN THAT FAST. If your blood glucose rises after a high-protein meal, it’s non because the amino acids yous just ate have got “turned into sugar.” It’s the glycogen beingness released past times your liver, nether the influence of glucagon. It’s your liver, doing just what your liver is supposed to do when yous swallow protein.
Now, to live clear, poly peptide does send upon insulin in addition to blood glucose. We know it does, because type 1 diabetics have got to work concern human relationship for protein—not but carbohydrate—when they bolus their pre-meal insulin. But again, this isn’t because the poly peptide they programme to ingest is going to instantly plough into refined saccharify in addition to “spike” their BG. It has to a greater extent than to create amongst the hormonal effects of protein, which is probable why it’s so hard to avoid highs in addition to lows when you’re dealing amongst exogenous insulin. Even people managing T1D amongst a depression carb or ketogenic diet—which dramatically reduces the amount of insulin needed, in addition to also reduces the frequency in addition to severity of highs in addition to lows—will soundless have highs in addition to lows from fourth dimension to time. Because it’s a real fragile hormonal balancing act, in addition to it’s hard plenty for non-diabetics, allow lonely those who depend on the complex calculus of bolusing injected insulin. Type 1 diabetics have got to live real careful when calculating their insulin needs to encompass for protein, because the rising inwards BG is a fighting less, and much to a greater extent than gradual than they typically experience from a large blast of sugar.
Managing blood glucose: the insulin in addition to glucagon dance
I’m copying & pasting an exchange from the aforementioned Calories Proper blog. The comment comes from Marty Kendall, who has an fantabulous site of his ain (Optimising Nutrition), in addition to has developed some really, really useful indices regarding the insulinogenic properties of diverse foods.
Marty: “Seems to me that the bulk of proteins non used past times the trunk for increment in addition to musculus repair volition terminate upward beingness turned into glucagon / glucose in addition to terminate upward requiring insulin to live used for unloose energy or stored as obese at some point.”
Bill: “Marty, it is non the glucose derived from amino acid gluconeogenesis that induces insulin secretion! Specific amino acids deed direct on the beta cells to create insulin secretion. The glucose from amino acid gluconeogenesis doesn't seem until long after the insulin response, in addition to it unremarkably ends upward inwards hepatic glycogen.” (Emphasis added.)
NICE, huh? The glucose inwards the blood instantly after poly peptide consumption comes largely from hepatic (liver) glycogen, in addition to inwards the real neat way a good for yous human trunk has of regulating itself, if/when gluconeogenesis does occur, long after digestion of protein, most of it but goes to supervene upon the liver glycogen that was diminished inwards the initiative of all place.
BUT: this is what happens inwards a healthy, properly regulated body. If we’re talking virtually type 1 in addition to type 2 diabetics, it’s a dissimilar story.
Take type 1 diabetes:
Type 1 diabetics secrete piddling to no insulin. That agency they have got no way of countering the effects of glucagon. (This is why their BG goes so high. It’s glucagon run amok, and I wrote virtually it here.) So if a T1 diabetic eats a lot of poly peptide inwards i sitting, they volition have got a large blood glucose rise. In the absence of insulin, the glucagon secretion induced past times poly peptide is going to tell the liver to maintain pumping out glucose, nonstop, in addition to perhaps also tell skeletal musculus to intermission downward proteins to release amino acids that tin give notice live used as fuel or sent to the liver, to live converted into glucose. Adipose tissue (fat cells) volition also hemorrhage obese acids, because glucagon stimulates lipolysis. All around, this is bad news, in addition to it’s why T1 diabetics waste materials away without insulin pretty much no thing what they eat. Protein stimulating glucagon release is, at to the lowest degree inwards part, why T1 diabetics have got to bolus their insulin to check their poly peptide intake inwards add-on to their refined saccharify intake. (This is what spurred Marty Kendall to start creating his super-extra-awesome insulin index of foods – it was to assist his wife, who has T1D, meliorate regulate her BG.)
What virtually type 2 diabetes?
Or, rather, non “type 2 diabetes,” per se, but inwards insulin resistance. (Remember, yous tin give notice live insulin resistant without beingness officially diagnosed as a T2 diabetic, but only because the way T2 diabetes is diagnosed is totally misguided.) For the sake of simplicity, I’ll usage the term T2 diabetic hither to imply a nation of insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is somewhat compartmentalized, right? For example, the muscles in addition to the liver tin give notice travel resistant to the effects of insulin, but for many people, adipose tissue (fat cells) doesn’t travel insulin resistant. We know they’re soundless insulin sensitive because they travel on to have got upward in addition to store fat. (It’s genuinely a piddling to a greater extent than complex than this, but I’ll salvage the details for a post service I have got coming upward on novel insights into the etiology of T2D.)
In a T2 diabetic amongst hepatic insulin resistance, the liver doesn’t respond adequately to insulin anymore, so it doesn’t larn the message to stop putting out glucose. [In T1D, this happens because folks have got piddling to no insulin. In T2D, there’s plenty of insulin, but the liver basically ignores it. So it ends upward beingness almost the same as T1 – at the score of the liver, insulin no longer counterbalances the effects of glucagon, so glucose continues to live released into the blood. The diabetes medication metformin is designed to target this issue: it inhibits hepatic/liver release of glucose.)
I recommend this video for an absolutely frikkin’ fascinating lecture on glucagon, in addition to the importance of glucagon in addition to insulin working inwards concert to regulate BG. I had my heed blown several times piece watching. Well worth your fourth dimension if yous desire to empathise this stuff. (Be sure as shooting to start it at the showtime if that link starts yous halfway through.)
Glucagon: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Dieter’s Best Friend
Lest yous start thinking glucagon is the enemy (there is far likewise much dark in addition to white thinking inwards the keto world), glucagon stimulates lipolysis (breaking downward fat) in addition to ketogenesis—two things most of us genuinely love in addition to fifty-fifty exit of our way to brand fall out more (such as via fasting or exercise.) Glucagon rises as blood glucose in addition to insulin fall. Insulin is a storage hormone; glucagon is a mobilizing hormone. Insulin to a greater extent than oft than non tells the trunk to lay things into cells; glucagon tells the trunk to delineate things—like fat—out of cells. (This is why it’s so damn hard to mobilize obese acids—that, is to burn downward fat—when your insulin levels are high all the time.) Glucagon mobilizes glucose and obese acids. (And when obese acids are mobilized, ketones are probable to follow, fifty-fifty if only at a depression level.) In the brusk term, dietary poly peptide reduces ketogenesis—but only temporarily, because of the insulin. Insulin tells us to store, in addition to yous don’t intermission downward fuels at the same fourth dimension you’re storing them. Except for when yous swallow poly peptide in addition to have got a real slight anti-ketogenic outcome inwards the presence of glucagon, glucagon is pro-ketogenic. Remember: glucagon is a counter-regulatory hormone to insulin. As insulin levels decrease, glucagon levels rise. Except inwards response to dietary protein, glucagon to a greater extent than oft than non rises when nosotros don’t have got fuel coming in: betwixt meals, overnight, during a fast, etc. It does this so nosotros tin give notice “feed” on our stored glucose in addition to obese during these times. That’s kinda the whole point. We like glucagon. (Glucagon is only a “problem” inwards T1D, when there’s non plenty insulin to maintain it inwards check, so the trunk is inwards a constant nation of uncontrolled catabolism [breaking itself down, wasting away]).
What virtually ketosis?
In add-on to concerns virtually “spiking” blood glucose in addition to insulin, many inwards the keto community are worried virtually eating a large amount of poly peptide because it mightiness “kick them out of ketosis.” There is so much incorrect amongst this, I hardly know where to start. If your destination is obese loss, this is a non-issue. Period. You create non demand to live inwards ketosis to lose trunk fat. As I have got written virtually advertizing nauseam inwards other posts, ketones are the result, not the cause, of breaking downward fat, so yous have got no argue to chase high ketones for the sake of high ketones. (If yous are using a ketogenic diet as medical therapy in addition to yous require maintenance of a sure as shooting threshold score of ketones for clinical efficacy, that is a dissimilar situation.)
My friend Mike Berta said it well:
“Excess poly peptide is mainly oxidized in addition to burned for energy. This results inwards lower ketone levels because ketosis relies on ‘fat derived’ fuels. The trunk volition non create many ketones when at that spot is an excess amount of non-fat derived energy. This does non hateful that the poly peptide yous swallow is turning into refined saccharify or that yous are going to live ‘kicked out of ketosis’ for a week. This but agency that poly peptide calories soundless count.” (Note from Amy: yous mightiness regard an needlelike drib inwards ketone levels, but first, who cares, in addition to second, you’ll live right dorsum to ketosis as shortly as insulin comes dorsum down. And remember: if your destination is obese loss or overall wellness, it’s to a greater extent than of import to live fat-adapted than to live inwards ketosis 24/7.)
“Even inwards diabetics, therapeutic levels of ketones are non to a greater extent than of import than maintenance of lean trunk mass. Don’t nether swallow poly peptide inwards your chase for ketones at the expense of lean mass. Lean bulk is real of import in addition to drives our metabolism. Ketones create non displace obese loss; they are the termination of obese acids beingness broken downward inwards the body. You tin give notice have got real high levels of ketones but swallow likewise much nutrient in addition to at that spot volition live no cyberspace reduction inwards trunk fat.”
As my friends at KetoGains say: “Chase results, non ketones.”
Up next, in addition to some additional resources
*WHEW!*
Now that we’ve cleared upward at to the lowest degree some of the craziness around GNG, believe it or not, at that spot are a pair of other issues people worry virtually amongst regard to poly peptide consumption. Namely:
- A “high” poly peptide intake is harmful for the bones in addition to kidneys.
- Protein activates scary-sounding pathways in addition to hormones similar mTOR in addition to IGF-1, potentially increasing opportunity for cancer (IGF-1) in addition to decreasing longevity (mTOR).
Most people are in all likelihood much to a greater extent than concerned virtually the GNG/glucose/insulin materials nosotros covered here, but I know some of yous wonder virtually these other issues, too. So I’ll tackle them inwards a separate post.
In the meantime, if you’d similar to nerd out farther on poly peptide in addition to GNG (including report information in addition to to a greater extent than scientific item than I provided here), this selection of bully reading in addition to videos volition brand yous real happy—and maintain yous busy for a while:
- KetoGains: If You Eat Excess Protein, Does It Turn Into Excess Glucose?
- Ketotic.org: Protein, Gluconeogenesis, in addition to Blood Sugar
- Ketotic.org: Protein, Ketogenesis, in addition to Glucose Oxidation
- Optimising Nutrition: Why create my blood sugars rising after a high-protein meal?
- Optimising Nutrition: The blood glucose glucagon in addition to insulin response to protein
- Calories Proper: Dietary poly peptide does non negatively impact blood glucose control
- Video: Donald Layman, PhD speaking virtually protein at the British Columbia Dairy Association’s Nutrition Forum. (Layman is i of my favorite go-to experts on protein, in addition to this is an fantabulous await at poly peptide recommendations. Nutshell: most of us are nowhere closed to a “high” poly peptide intake.)
- Video: Glucagon - Professor Roger Unger, Rolf Luft Award Prize Lecture 2014
Disclaimer: Amy Berger, MS, CNS, NTP, is non a MD in addition to , LLC, is non a medical practice. The information contained on this site is non intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or foreclose whatever medical status in addition to is non to live used as a substitute for the attention in addition to guidance of a physician. Links inwards this post service in addition to all others may direct yous to amazon.com, where I volition have a little amount of the purchase toll of whatever items yous purchase through my affiliate links.