"
Ketosis" is a word you'll probably see when you're looking for information on
diabetes or weight loss. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? That depends.
Ketosis is a normal metabolic process, something your body does to keep working. When it doesn't have enough carbohydrates from food for your cells to burn for energy, it burns fat instead. As part of this process, it makes
ketones.
If you're healthy and eating a
balanced diet, your body controls how much fat it burns, and you don't normally make or use ketones. But when you cut way back on your calories or carbs, your body will switch to ketosis for energy. It can also happen after
exercising for a long time and during
pregnancy. For people with uncontrolled
diabetes, ketosis is a sign of not using enough
insulin.
Ketosis can become dangerous when ketones build up. High levels lead to
dehydration and change the chemical balance of your
blood.