Ketogenic Amino Acids

Amino acids can be classified as essential and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are those which can't be produced by the body, whereas non-essential amino acids are the acids which are synthesized in the body. When the body's immediate energy sources are limited, it turns to proteins or fats, as a back-up energy source. Ketogenesis is the process in which ketone bodies are formed.

Ketogenic amino acids can be defined as amino acids, which can be converted into ketone by the process of ketogenesis. Some amino acids can be transformed into acetyl CoA, which can get converted into acetoacetate. In case of low blood glucose level, acetoacetate, can rarely be a source of energy for the brain.

Lycine and lucine are sole ketogenic amino acids, as they can't produce glucose at all. Rest of the amino acids are partially glucogenic, which means that they get transformed into glucose by the process of gluconeogenesis.

These amino acids degenerate to form pyruvate, which further gets converted into glucose, in case of low glucose content. These amino acids include threonine, asparagine, glycine, alanine, valine, arginine, methionine, aspartate, histidine, cysteine, and tyrosine, to name a few.

Phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine, isoleucine, and threonine are considered to be both glucogenic and ketogenic, since they can be converted to acetoacetate, as well as pyruvate.

It becomes difficult to remember all of these amino acids, since it is a long list. You can make a mnemonic to recall these. For instance if you want to memorize all these essential amino acids, the best mnemonic would be: 'PVT TIM HALL'. Each letter of this mnemonic stands for one amino acid.

• P - Phenylalanine
• V - Valine
• T - Threonine
• T - Tryptophan
• I - Isoleucine
• M - Methionine
• H - Histidine
• A - Arginine
• L - Leucine
• L - Lycine

Remember, the last 2 acids are ketogenic amino acids.

Ketogenic diet is rich in proteins and fats, and poor in carbohydrate. This diet is recommended for people who are affected by disorders like epileptic seizures and do not respond to other medications. However, it is mandatory to follow this diet under medical supervision, since it leads to increase in ketone bodies.

Sometimes also termed as ketosis diet, it involves following a diet which starves your body of sugars and carbohydrates. While on this diet for weight loss, ketone content in your body is more as compared to glucose, and it is also called ketosis.

In such cases, your body starts burning fat, and insulin level goes down, and glucagon production increases.

Within 3 - 4 days of starting a such a diet, your body shows signs of ketosis such as nausea along with stomach ache, headache, weariness, cold feet, thirst which persists for longer period, and bad breath, which is also referred to as ketosis breath. In some cases, these side effects may last for a week, till the body gets acclimatized to fat burning.

There is a debate among health professionals about this diet. People against it say that carbohydrates are vital for normal functioning of the body and ketone accumulation may lead to toxicity. However, people supporting it claim that there is no harm in following such a diet, since energy received from ketones enhances the functioning of heart, provided it's in moderate quantity.