The anti-ketogenic role of carbohydrate/ Function of Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate food

The anti-ketogenic role of carbohydrate/ Function of Carbohydrate: 

Carbohydrates are the most abundant organic molecules in nature. So, it plays a very great role in the nutrition of health.

 In biology, ketosis is a state of organism characterized by elevated a levels of ketone bodies in the blood by the process of fat metabolism named ketogenesis. Aceto-acetate and beta-hydroxy butyrate are the ketone bodies which are toxic compounds for the body . But during starvation or in the body of a diabetic patient these toxic compounds are formed when liver glycogen stores are depleted. For these reason ketosis is occurred.

Most of the body is able to utilize fatty acid as an alternative source of energy in a process called beta-oxidation . One of the products of  beta-oxidation is acetyl Co-A, which can be further used in the Krebs-cycle . During prolonged fasting and starvation , acetyl Co-A in used to produce ketone bodies leading to the state of ketosis.

The ketone body acetoacetate will  slowly decarboxylate in acetone, a volatile compound that is also metabolized as an energy source and lost in the breath and urine.

When the rate of  synthesis of  ketone bodies excels the rate of utilization , their concentration in blood also increases.this is known as ketonemia. This is followed by ketonuria - excreation of ketone bodies in urine. And for this reason ,in the breath and urine of an uncontrolled diabetic patient, the smell of acetone is found. This is an addition encounter in an uncontrolled diabetic patient.

Adequate supply of carbohydrate determine the amount of fat to be metabolized for energy, which in turn affects the formation and disposal rate of ketones ,In absence of carbohydrate more ketones are accumulate in the body, cause more fat is break down. But when carbohydrate are supplied, it produce energy and stop excess fat breakdown as wel as stop production of keton-bodies .

These is the anti-ketogenic role of carbohydrate.

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