I had noticed that 30 minutes after eliminating and drinking coca tea in Peru that my ketones in urine increased from "negative" to "high". Normally, I have to go 8 to 12 hours without food after a small meal the evening before before I see a "slight" reading. So it's a very impressive result. I did a search on cocaine and ketones and found 14% of diabetic ketoacidosis hospital admissions were from cocaine users. http://archinte.ama-...158/16/1799.pdf
ketoacidosis is producing lots of ketones without enough elimination and thereby raises acidity of blood. They are pretty sure the excess ketone production in the liver is caused by 2 or 3 hormones released by the cocaine (cortisol and catecholamine). Coca tea and the dried leaves are used widely in peru and contain 1% of the alkloids in cocaine. They sell it on the streets and in standard tea packaging in grocery stores. Technically, the tea is not legal in the U.S. unless the alkaloids are removed (this is a unique and special provision in the law so that Coca-Cola can import it and keep its original flavor). The tea can make you test positive on a drug test. In peru they say it helps you go without food, work harder, is relaxing, and prevents high-altitude sickness. You can't go to Cusco or Macchu Picchu without being bombarded with this advice. The miners and farmers in both Bolivia and Peru use it to work harder and longer on less food. All these benefits of coca match nicely with wikipedia's info on ketones:
".... are "magic" in their ability to increase metabolic efficiency [altitude sickness], while decreasing production of free radicals, the damaging byproducts of normal metabolism. His work has shown that ketone bodies may treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease,[5] and the heart and brain operate 25% more efficiently [altitude sickness again] using ketones as a source of energy.[6] Research has also shown ketones play a role in reducing epileptic seizures with the so-called high-fat, near-zero carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet
I'll try caffiene, ginkgo, and green tea to see if urine ketones raise so much. Compared to coffee and tea, coca tea is much more calming. It's not considered a drug in Peru by any means. Considered about the same way we consider coffee, or even less.
I read coffee, tea, and cocoa (chocolate) have ketones *in* them. So maybe it's not all "fat burning" ketones.
Edited by zawy, 19 May 2009 - 11:46 AM.