Know about Gluconeogenesis

In a Ketogenic Diet, it is important to understand how your body breaks down the stored carbohydrates, fats and proteins to utilise glucose needed for the body functioning. Glucose is required by our body to provide us with energy. For e.g., our brain cells can get energy for the proper functioning only from Glucose. This energy is used to carry out our regular activities in everyday life, internal functions and repairs our cells and it also supports our external activities which help us to interact with the outer environment. 

We need to understand how our fat cells work on a cellular level for the production of glucose that is used by our body. Glucose is produced from the food we eat during the day. When we do not feed our body with enough food, the glucose is generated for external sources. This process is known as Gluconeogenesis. It is the production of glucose from external organs such as kidney or liver etc to generate glucose in case of shortage of naturally producing glycogen in our body. Unlike, naturally producing insulin, the process of gluconeogenesis is the exact opposite.  To understand this, in simpler terms, glucose is produced from the excess fats and proteins stored in our body. 

The Importance of Carbohydrates 

Carbohydrates stored in our body plays a major role in the production of glucose. Our body synthesises glucose from the carbs we feed our body. We also need to understand that the same glucose can also be synthesised from other sources in our body when the natural glucose level depletes. This process of gluconeogenesis starts around the time we are in the state of fasting and cannot naturally produce glucose. 

In a Ketogenic Diet, our body requires us to use the glucose converted from carbohydrates. Our body will produce glucose anyway either from carbohydrates or from the fats and proteins. If you are eating a typical Indian diet, your body gets plenty of glucose from the carbs we consume. For example, a wholesome Indian diet includes carbohydrates from rice, potatoes essentially forms a long chain of glucose. We also consume fruits during the day, which provides our body with natural sugar. Processed foods play a major role in boosting the glucose levels in our body through the kinds of foods we eat. 

The difference between Gluconeogenesis and Ketosis 

Let us understand how our body reacts differently in case of Ketosis compared to Gluconeogenesis. During the state of ketosis, our body essentially utilizes body fat as fuel instead of glucose. When our body is in this state, our energy supply is generated from the ketone bodies circulating in the blood. Ketone bodies are produced through a process called ketogenesis. The process of Ketogenesis and Gluconeogenesis are similar in providing our body with the required energy in the absence of carbohydrate in our diet. There is only a slight difference, Ketogenesis differs in that it produces ketone bodies as energy fuels for our body. 

The Keto Diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating dietary regime designed to allow your body to enter into the state of Ketosis. It is also known as the Ketogenic Diet. It is mostly preferred by people looking to lose weight, regular blood sugar levels, improve metabolic pathway, PCODs etc. Scientific evidence claims that Ketogenic diets also help people with certain neuro-degenerative functionalities including Alzheimer’s disease.  

Additionally, the consumption of a lot of protein on your keto dietary lifestyle, the formation of gluconeogenesis may prevent your body from entering the state of Ketogenesis. In such a state your body tends to utilise the proteins to create the necessary glucose as energy fuels required by our body. Our body is most likely to use glucose produced by gluconeogenesis to produce energy in the first few days of a ketogenic diet. 

The Ketogenic Diet approach 

To maintain a low-carb diet it is essential to shift our body from the state of gluconeogenesis to Ketosis. There are various processes to test for the presence of the Ketone bodies in our blood. Unless our body enters the state of Ketosis our body cannot shed the fats stored in our body. People looking to lose weight need to learn the importance of the difference between the two processes of synthesising glucose. Most people won’t be able to follow a committed Keto Diet if they do not follow the limitations of allowing your body enters the state of Ketosis to avoid the utilization of glucose generated from other sources. 

In a low-carb diet, it is essential to consume fewer carbs. In such a case the body needs to make glucose from other sources. Our body generally reaches such a state when we are fasting, exercising for long hours and during starvation. Gluconeogenesis is the metabolic pathway your body uses to transform non-glucose sources into glucose for energy. It can shield you from losing fat, picking up muscle, and consuming ketones which are not suitable on a weight loss journey. We need to allow our body to utilise glucose from the carbohydrates for our body to be in the state of Ketosis. 

One approach to limit the negative impacts of gluconeogenesis is by eating the perfect measure of protein at the right time. Eat between 0.6 grams of protein to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of fit weight every day. You ought to be nearer to eating 1.2 grams per pound of fit weight on the off chance that you are progressively dynamic and more slender. It is essential to increase your protein intake if you are limiting your calories for weight reduction.

Therefore, energy is needed to sustain life. To move your body into ketogenesis and far from gluconeogenesis all the more rapidly, it is ideal to join the ketogenic diet with the approach of intermittent fasting. This will improve your insulin affectability, exhaust your glycogen stores, and improve the probability that you will consume fat and ketones as opposed to protein for fuel.