Which statement explains a primary cause of diabetic acidosis?

• A. A breakdown of fat stores for energy
• B. Ingestion of too many acidic foods
• C. Excessive secretion of endogenous insulin
• D. Increased extracellular cholesterol

Answer: (A)

In diabetic acidosis, not having enough insulin means the body can’t use glucose effectively, so it shifts to breaking down fat for energy. This fat breakdown releases fatty acids that the liver converts into ketone bodies. As these ketones accumulate in the blood, they lower the pH and create a metabolic acidosis—the hallmark of diabetic ketoacidosis. The other ideas don’t fit because acidic foods don’t cause systemic ketoacidosis, excess endogenous insulin would suppress ketone production, and cholesterol levels aren’t responsible for the acid buildup.