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Nutritional Ketosis

Meaning

Nutritional ketosis is a controlled metabolic state induced by a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat dietary pattern, resulting in the liver producing a significant quantity of ketone bodies as an alternative fuel source. This physiological adaptation occurs when hepatic glycogen stores are depleted, shifting the body’s primary energy substrate from glucose to fat-derived ketones, specifically beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and acetoacetate. It is a distinct, regulated state different from pathological ketoacidosis.