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Once an individual starts the Atkins diet, there are biochemical changes in the body. This is due to the fact that the diet is deficient of carbohydrates. This causes an imbalance in the body's energy supply. There is an increase in the body's protein metabolism and fat metabolism. There is also a decrease in the body's carbohydrate metabolism because the body's supply of carbohydrate is reduced.

        Fat metabolism is most likely to be higher than protein metabolism because fat is more abundant in meals. For example, when we eat meat, we are supplying both proteins and fats to the body.

Ketone Bodies

Most of the energy used by the brain is obtained from carbohydrate catabolism. During the process of the atkins diet, the supply of energy for the brain is low. To correct this, ketogenesis is started by the liver cells (Oregonstate.edu, 2017). The following are the steps in ketogenesis:

  • Acetoacetyl-CoA is created from two acetyl-CoAs by reversing the thiolase reaction (Oregonstate.edu, 2017).

  • Another molecule of acetyl-CoA is attached to the acetoacetyl-CoA with the assistance of HMG-CoA synthetase to create HMG-CoA (Oregonstate.edu, 2017).

  • Acetoacetate and acetyl-CoA are produced from the cleavage  of HMG-CoA with the help of HMG-CoA lyase (Oregonstate.edu, 2017).

  • Beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase converts acetoacetate to beta-hydroxybutyrate which is an intermediate in beta oxidation (Oregonstate.edu, 2017). 

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Answers

  1. Acetoacetyl-CoA and Acetyl-CoA.

  2. The reverse of the thiolase reaction.

  3. HMG-CoA.

  4. In the liver cells.

  5. Acetyl-CoA combining with an acetoacetyl-CoA.

Questions

  1. When HMG-CoA is broken down, what molecules are produced?

  2. The creation of acetoactyl-CoA is?

  3. HMG-CoA assists in the creation of?

  4. Ketogenesis starts where?

  5. HMG-CoA is the product of?

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