How can ketones cause acidosis?

1 Answer
May 11, 2018

The body will metabolize fatty acids into ketone bodies as a secondary fuel source for cells. These ketone bodies are naturally acidic, as they increase in concentration acidosis occurs.

Explanation:

As blood sugar decrease sin the human body, the body responds by metabolizing fatty acids into ketone bodies .
https://biologydictionary.net/ketone-bodies
these ketone bodies contain carboxylic acid groups and as they increase in concentration in the bloodstream, the pH of the bloodstream will drop during a process called ketoacidosis.

There are numerous effects, a detectable fruity odour on the breath, mental confusion and reduced mental faculties. As blood sugar increases, there will be a corresponding decrease in the amount of Ketone bodies present and the pH will return to homeostatic norms.