Pros and Cons of Ketogenic Dieting
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The pros and cons of ketogenic dieting
Introduction
A metabolic pathway constitutes a web of connected biochemical reactions in the body that feed upon each other. At the commencement of the metabolic course, the pathway takes in unique molecules that, through a series of intermediate processes, convert into the by-products unique to the metabolic pathway. The ultimate processes in the metabolic pathways constitute the creation or the breakdown of glucose from cellular activities. According to (Gunsalus, Horecker, & Wood, 2019), the metabolic pathways exist in the broad categories of anabolic pathways, which build up glucose from small molecules, and the catabolic pathways, which breakdown glucose into small compounds that include ATP (adenosine triphosphate) (p.102). The success of ketogenic dieting outcomes from the dieting process causes the body to mimic starvation. The body lacks the necessary molecules for the glycolysis pathway, which are carbohydrates.
Context and importance of the Glycolysis pathway to biochemistry
The metabolic pathway that is impacted by ketogenic dieting is the pathway for carbohydrate metabolism. The metabolic pathway for glycolysis allows the synthesis of glucose into different compounds for the body. An alternative constitutes the storage of glucose after conversion into glycogen. Insulin plays a vital role in the metabolism as it pushes glucose into cells that utilize it as ATP while storing the excess amounts in the form of fat droplets known as triglycerides, which are deposited in the adipose tissues for fat storage in the body (Colica1 et al., 2017, p.2275). The pathway is thus crucial for energy production in the body through ATP, in addition to the formation of fat deposits in the adipose tissues which form insulation for vital organs in the body, in addition to storage of energy for use during starvation of the body by conversion to Acetyl CoA in the mitochondria (Ketogenic-Diet-Resource, 2019).
Carbohydrate metabolism in the glycolysis pathway allows for converting glucose into its storage form of glycogen and other related compounds. The pathway relies on the input of insulin, which contributes to the biochemical processes in the body to be unique (Gunsalus, Horecker, & Wood, 2019, p.102). The author states that “insulin the glycolysis pathway is the only option that the body had in the conversion of glucose into its storage compounds” (Noguchi et al., 2013).
Production of glucose in the body of mammalian organisms results from the breakdown of carbohydrates. Analysis of carbohydrates starts from the mouth through salivary amylase action and continues further into the small intestines through pancreatic amylase activity. The produced glucose is transported to the liver for the effect of insulin, which converts the excess glucose into glycogen for storage (Noguchi et al., 2013). The use of glucose for energy production in the form of ATP is an additional action. This ATP is used in cells that use energy, such as muscle cells in the muscle tissues.
The carbohydrate metabolic pathway integrates with the protein pathway and the fat metabolism pathway in their typical role of the production of ATP in the body. The point of integration lies in oxidizing the final products from the three routes to produce energy. During integration in the mitochondrion, the separate pathways pull their products, converted into Acetyl CoA. The products from the fat metabolism pathway are broken down in the mitochondria through the process of beta-oxidation. In contrast, the amino acids from protein metabolism are broken down through conversion to keto acids used as energy. At the same time, the bi-product of urea is excreted from the body through sweat and urine. Thus the point of integration is in converting the products from the separate pathways into Acetyl CoA for ATP production in the body.
The ketogenic diet involves reducing the ingestion of carbohydrates to mimic the state of starvation in the body (Ketogenic-Diet-Resource, 2019). The protein in the diet ensures that the body does not metabolize the muscle tissue. The outcome is when the insulin levels drop with the reduction of glucose molecules in the body. The liver then retrieves excess fats in the body to create ketone bodies through ketosis. The muscles in the body metabolize fatty acids while decreasing their use of ketones.
On the other hand, the brain reduces its need for glucose as it increasingly burns the high number of ketones in the blood for fuel, causing the liver to decrease its rate of glycogenesis. Different metabolic pathways in the body take in other molecules and break them down in different ways. The pathways in a mammalian body include protein metabolism, fat metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism pathways.
Disruption of the glycolysis pathway
Glycolysis pathway is the pathway of metabolism that functions in converting glucose molecule (C6H12O6) into the pyruvate molecule CH3COCOO-+H+. The conversion process results in the release of a high energy molecule ATP and NADH. The glycolysis pathway is essential in the production of energy for the body. Disruption in the pathway can result from insulin deficiency and type-two-diabetes, which impact the process of carbohydrate metabolism in the body. Insulin deficiency can result from the destruction of the insulin-producing cells or insufficient insulin production from the insulin-producing cells (Noguchi et al., 2013). With insulin deficiency in the body, there is the absence of conversion of glucose into glycogen, which results in large quantities of sugar in the blood, with minimal energy available for the cells in the body.
The pancreas produces insulin to control blood sugar levels in the mammalian body (Noguchi et al., 2013). The specific cells in the pancreas that contribute to insulin production are called the islets of Langerhans. The beta cells within the islets of Langerhans contribute to insulin production. After manufacturing, insulin travels to the liver through the bloodstream. Insulin deficiency in the body results when the beta cells for insulin production are destroyed by releasing excessive body antibodies. The outcome is the production of insufficient amounts that cannot cater to the body’s metabolic needs. Alternatively, insulin deficiency in the body occurs because of the insulin receptors’ insensitivity (Noguchi et al., 2013). The outcome is a disruption that results from the insulin in the blood not being used in the carbohydrate metabolism pathways.
Insulin works in tandem with glucagon. Therefore, the increase in glucose in the blood results in increasing insulin production levels for the absorption and storage of glucose in the form of glycogen. (Noguchi et al., 2013) states that once insulin rises in the body, the rise of glucagon results in decreased insulin production to maintain the homeostatic balance in the body. It is disrupting the body’s glycolysis pathway through insufficient insulin production results in different consequences that result from the high level of glucose in the body. The first consequence is the absence of energy for the body, which causes the body to seek alternative sources of energy and thus weight loss to metabolize the adipose deposits in the body. Extreme cases result in muscle wasting as the body exhausts all the fat deposits and proceeds to metabolize the muscle mass in the body for energy (Colica1et al., 2017; p. 2275). An additional excess glucose outcome in the body results from removing extra sugar in the body through urine. The kidney will utilize a lot of water to excrete the excess urine, which results in frequent thirst, dehydration, and urination.
Conclusion
The success of ketogenic dieting results from the dieting process, causing the body to mimic the state of starvation. The body lacks the necessary molecules for the glycolysis pathway, which are carbohydrates. The regulated form of hunger allows the individual to maintain the body’s muscle mass through the intake of proteins in the diet while reducing carbohydrates’ consumption, which causes artificial starvation for the organism. The outcome of appetite in the body results in fat deposits’ metabolism with eventual weight loss for the individuals.
References
Colica1, C., Merra, G., Gasbarrini, A., De Lorenzo, A., Cioccoloni, G., Gualtieri, P., Perrone, M.A., Bernardini, S., Bernardo, V., Di Renzo, L., & Marchetti, M., 2017. Efficacy and safety of very-low-calorie ketogenic diet: a double-blind, randomized crossover study. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 2017; 21: 2274-2289
Gunsalus, I. C., Horecker, B. L., & Wood, W. A., 2019. Pathways of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Microorganisms. Wessex Publishers: Columbia.
Ketogenic-Diet-Resource, 2019. Metabolic Pathways: How the Body Uses Energy. Available from https://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/metabolic-pathways.html
Noguchi, R., Kubota, H., Yugi, K., Toyoshima, Y., Komori, Y., Soga, T. & Kuroda, S., 2013. The selective control of glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and glycogenesis by temporal insulin patterns. Molecular systems biology, 9(1).