by demigraff » May 24th, 2006, 10:09 pm
*bzzt*
The description of ketones in that file is wrong, but not as far off as you might think. As well as with high blood sugar, ketones are produced in the body as a byproduct of breaking down protein for energy. Your body does this when your blood sugar gets too low.
The atkins diet (or at least the versions I've read about) recommends testing for ketones as a sign that your carbohydrate intake is low enough. When in ketosis, you can lose weight very rapidly - unfortunately, most of the weight lost is muscle tissue, your liver, and various other internals. Also, you may be interested to know that ketones are believed (I've seen articles for and against the hypothesis, so its not fact) to be a cause of neuropathy. You'll lose a lot of weight fast when your fingers fall off.
If you really want ketones in your blood, you can get them relatively easily - the simplest ketone chemical is acetone, which is commonly used for removing varnish or paint. Making organic ketones is quite simple back-room chemistry, requiring only benzene, unsaturated fats, sugar and bleach. (Note - ketones created by following this advice will kill you even quicker than ketones formed by dieting)