Replying to Avatar a source familiar with the matter

I am no expert but I think you are just wrong.

I am finding claims online that fats are metabolized into acetyl-CoA which produces ATP via the Krebs cycle.

Consequently, I think glucose is not essential even for the production of ATP.

See for example wiki's introductory paragraph claiming that fats can provide the fuel for the Kreb's cycle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle

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banjo 1y ago

So the initial steps prior to the Kreb's cycle occurs when glucose is metabolized to pyruvate, and then pyruvate is metabolized to acetyl CoA, and that is then used in the Kreb's cycle.

IIRC you get a total of 38 ATP per glucose molecule metabolized via the Kreb's cycle...but it's been a while... 😃

There are some alternative pathways (e.g. via ketones) but those typically only are leveraged in extreme circumstances (such as starvation).

However, the typical pathway for cellular respiration leverages glucose.

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Jeff Swann 1y ago

"Extreme circumstances" based on research done on average western carbaholics...?

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a source familiar with the matter 1y ago

Aren't infants in ketosis?

Like, we have these energy-intensive brains and human infants are born extremely fat (fatter than baby seals) and with virtually no glucose to run that energy-intensive brain. So how do you think it happens? How much glucose is in mother's milk?

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Jeff Swann 1y ago

Milk does have glucose, but the amount is heavily influenced by the weight of the mother & what she eats. So fat unhealthy parents produce fatter unhealthy kids right from the start.