Ketone Diet Against Diabetes

 

Without a doubt, diabetes is one of the areas where scientific research is most fervently pursued. The battle against this illness advances through the application of varied strategies across multiple disciplines.

 Some of these strategies are aimed at preventing the disease, some are aimed at maintaining the existing condition, and some are aimed at reversing the disease. 

In the studies carried out so far, a technique or a drug that will completely eliminate the disease has not been developed, but a long way has been achieved in this regard. Both stem cell and genetic studies strengthen the hope that one day diabetes will definitely be overcome.

 In addition to the retrospective improvement studies of the disease, studies to keep blood sugar under control continue at full speed. Some of these studies consist of drug treatment, and some of them are studies on different diets.

The study that is the subject of this article is the Ketone diet. Let's just say, that this study on ketone was conducted with a group of young and healthy volunteers, and the results show that ketone keeps blood sugar under control in healthy people. 

Before going into the details of the research, let's consider the readers who have no knowledge about diabetes and ketone metabolism, let's briefly touch on some important points and some previous research on this subject.

Note: In fact, the ketogenic diet is a diet that has been known to the public for many years and is especially applied by athletes. In the ketogenic diet, there is no bread, no pasta, no sugar, but plenty of fat and protein. 

What makes this diet great is that while losing weight, both muscle tissues are not damaged and weight loss is only in fat. The fact that the ketogenic diet burns fat quickly and increases performance is a reason for preference by athletes. However, the ketogenic diet does not allow eating large portions of meat daily.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by abnormally high blood glucose levels. It is evaluated in two main classes, type 1 and type 2. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are also divided into sub-units among themselves, taking into account various parameters.

 In fact, in a study published in the March 01, 2018 issue of the journal The Lancet, it was reported that there are 5 different forms of Type 2 diabetes, three of which are severe and two are mild, considering 6 parameters.

What regulates blood sugar?

 Insulin, a crucial hormone produced by the beta cells in the pancreas, plays a central role. Once released by the pancreas, insulin binds to receptors on cell membranes, which are located near glucose transporters (GLUT). This interaction facilitates the opening of channels that allow glucose to enter the cells.

Glucose in the blood enters the cell through these opened channels and is transmitted to the organs in need of energy to be used as energy. Diabetes occurs with the disruption of this mechanism and the destruction of the disease begins to manifest itself after many years. 

Retinal damage, hypertension, vascular occlusion, and damage to blood vessels are just a few of the long-term effects of high sugar in the body.

Diabetes is one of the biggest health problems

Diabetes is the world's most common social illness. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) uses the term ' 21st century epidemic'  for diabetes ( 2 ). Again, according to the data of the same organization, one out of every eleven adults in the world has diabetes. 

There are approximately 415 million diabetic patients in the world and 7 million in Turkey, and this number is increasing day by day. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) predicts that by 2035, the number of diabetic patients will exceed 600 million in the world, and this number will exceed 12 million in Turkey.

ketones against diabetes

Our body usually provides the necessary energy by burning sugar and carbohydrates. However, it burns fats by changing the body's metabolism during periods of hunger and heavy exercise. 

During this period, the liver produces ' ketone bodies' that are used as energy metabolites by the brain and tissues. Of course, this happens in the absence of sugar and carbohydrates in the environment.

Diabetic coma, acetone odor from the mouth

We said that the first source that the body uses for its energy needs is sugar and carbohydrates in the blood. Insulin is needed for the sugar in the blood to be transported to the cells and converted into energy there. 

Especially in type 1 and advanced type 2 diabetes patients, the level of sugar in the blood rises excessively as a result of the pancreas not producing enough insulin.

In such cases, when cells lack energy, they begin to utilize proteins and fats to fulfill their energy requirements, similar to what happens during fasting. During this process, ketone bodies, which result from the breakdown of fatty acids, are produced as the body uses fats for energy.

When ketone bodies begin to accumulate in the blood, it turns into a threatening condition called ketoacidosis or diabetic coma. The reason for this peculiar smell similar to alcohol in the mouths of diabetics is acetone. 

Which is one of the ketone bodies that occurs during the burning of fat in the body? Acetone is excreted not only through respiration but also through urine. This is why the urine of diabetics smells like acetone.

The effect of ketone

Research has demonstrated that ketones contribute to weight loss and offer numerous health benefits. They help reduce inflammation, enhance mental acuity, and regulate neuronal functions affected by epileptic seizures by altering the genes associated with brain energy metabolism, among other advantages.

Will blood sugar be stabilized if ketone supplements are made externally?

To investigate the issue, Jonathan Little from the University of British Columbia at Kelowna and his team conducted a study with 20 healthy volunteers. 

Volunteers first fasted for 10 hours, and then some of the participants were given a ketone ester drink and the other a placebo, a drink with no ingredients.

 After 30 minutes, participants in both groups were given a liquid drink containing 75 grams of sugar, and blood glucose was measured every 15 and 30 minutes for 2.5 hours in both groups.

Less fluctuation in blood sugar 

Conclusion:

These findings form the idea that in the future, type 2 diabetes patients and overweight pre-diabetic patients can control blood sugar with ketone-fortified foods and beverages.

 It is not yet known whether the same positive effect will occur in diabetics and the elderly, and if so, to what extent. In addition, the metabolic mechanism of the issue is still unknown. 

It should be noted that there is still a long way to go to learn the subject in-depth and put it into practice in practice.