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What should you find in a carbohydrate foods list? Should you be limiting carbohydrate control through the week, to reward yourself over the weekend? Should you be removing all high carbohyrate food sources from your diet? Or should you get rid of as much carbohydrates as possible? Many low carbohydrate diets advocate witholding carbohydrate intake to induce ketosis.

Ketosis is a bodily state set in motion when the body becomes deficient in carbohydrates and needs energy. The liver starts altering fatty acids (i.e., fats) via a process called gluconeogenesis, to make glycogen as an energy source. It is a common selling point among low carbohydrate diets to induce quick weight loss.

However, ketosis has several noted adverse bodily effects that need to be examined. First off, compelling the body to perform gluconeogenesis can severely damage the liver. Ketone bodies, which are produced during ketosis using fat, are acidic and can affect your blood Ph. Protracted ketosis will eventually lower Ph below 7.35 and bring about ketoacidosis. All these medical conditions are potentially fatal.

In fact, using ketosis to cause weight loss remains disputed.

Advocates of low carbohydrate diets, including medical professionals, argue that ketosis is a safe bodily state, not to be confused with ketoacidosis. However, all the research into low carbohydrate diets is still lacking in making a complete apppraisal of ketosis. As of now, the medical community still lacks total agreement on its efficacy or safety.

Whatever your opinion may be on ketosis, there is total agreement that limiting carbohydrate intake is an essential component of weight loss programs. Carbohydrates food used to be identified according to chemical structures, as simple or complex carbohydrates. However, there are new parameters used to measure their effects on health, such as glycemic index, glyemic load, fiber content and refined/unrefined state.

As always, seek help from a medical professional before making any drastic changes to your diet. If you want to attempt ketosis with a low carbohydrate diet, you should first confirm if your body can withstand it. You should also make sure you get instruction from someone qualified, and if you have, caveat emptor. All medically supervised diets use the same carbohydrate foods list, but they will prioritize specific foods over others. Be cautious even when in the middle of a diet to verify your own diet's safety and efficacy.

Carbohydrates food used to be identified as simple or complex carbohydrates. However, there are new standards used to asses their effects on health, such as glycemic index, glyemic load, fiber content and refined/unrefined state. All medically supervised diets use the same carbohydrate foods list, but they will emphasize some foods over others. Stay vigilant even when in the middle of a diet to confirm your own diet's safety and efficacy.