What Are Ketones

What Are Ketone Bodies? – Ketones Explained

Ketone Bodies are the breakdown of fat via metabolism through the liver. That means when our body starts to use fat as a source of fuel, it breaks the fat down through the liver and spits out these little molecules called, ketone bodies. The most abundant of these ketones is called, beta hydroxybutyrate (bhb). Most people are never in nutritional ketosis because of the overconsumption of sugars and carbohydrates which prohibit ketone production. The only time our body is able to produce ketone bodies is when we stop the consumption of carbohydrates, and allow our body to make use of the fat to create fuel. When we need energy and the sugar is not there, our body will then reach for the fat, and that fat will be used to produce the ketones. Continue reading >>

What Are Ketones?

ANSWER Everyone has ketones, whether you have diabetes or not. Ketones are chemicals made in your liver. You produce them when you don't have enough insulin in your body to turn sugar (or glucose) into energy. You need another source, so your body uses fat instead. Your liver turns this fat into ketones, a type of acid, and sends them into your bloodstream. Your muscles and other tissues can then use them for fuel. For a person without diabetes, this process doesn’t become an issue. When you have diabetes, however, you can build up too many ketones in your blood -- and too many ketones can become life-threatening. Continue reading >>

What Are Ketones And Their Tests?

A ketone test can warn you of a serious diabetes complication called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. An elevated level of this substance in your blood can mean you have very high blood sugar. Too many ketones can trigger DKA, which is a medical emergency. Regular tests you take at home can spot when your ketone levels run too high. Then you can take insulin to lower your blood sugar level or get other treatments to prevent complications. What Exactly Are Ketones? Everyone has them, whether you have diabetes or not. Ketones are chemicals made in your liver. You produce them when you don't have enough of the hormone insulin in your body to turn sugar (or “glucose”) into energy. You need another source, so your body uses fat instead. Your liver turns this fat into ketones, a type of acid, and sends them into your bloodstream. Your muscles and other tissues can then use them for fuel. For a person without diabetes, this process doesn’t become an issue. But when you have diabetes, things can run out of control and you build up too many ketones in your blood. If the level goes too high, it can become life-threatening. Who Needs a Ketone Test? You might need one if you have type 1 diabetes. In this type, your immune system attacks and destroys cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Without it, your blood sugar rises. People with type 2 diabetes can also get high ketones, but it isn't as common as it is with type 1. Tests can show you when your level gets high so you can treat it before you get sick. When Should You Test? Your doctor will probably tell you to test your ketones when: Your blood sugar is higher than 250 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dl) for two days in a row You're sick or you've been injured You want to exercise and your blood sugar level is over 250 mg/dl Continue reading >>

What Are Ketone Bodies And Why Are They In The Body?

If you eat a calorie-restricted diet for several days, you will increase the breakdown of your fat stores. However, many of your tissues cannot convert these fatty acid products directly into ATP, or cellular energy. In addition, glucose is in limited supply and must be reserved for red blood cells -- which can only use glucose for energy -- and brain tissues, which prefer to use glucose. Therefore, your liver converts many of these fatty acids into ketone bodies, which circulate in the blood and provide a fuel source for your muscles, kidneys and brain. Video of the Day Low fuel levels in your body, such as during an overnight fast or while you are dieting, cause hormones to increase the breakdown of fatty acids from your stored fat tissue. These fatty acids travel to the liver, where enzymes break the fatty acids into ketone bodies. The ketone bodies are released into the bloodstream, where they travel to tissues that have the enzymes to metabolize ketone bodies, such as your muscle, brain, kidney and intestinal cells. The breakdown product of ketone bodies goes through a series of steps to form ATP. Conditions of Ketone Body Utilization Your liver will synthesize more ketone bodies for fuel whenever your blood fatty acid levels are elevated. This will happen in response to situations that promote low blood glucose, such as an overnight fast, prolonged calorie deficit, a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet, or during prolonged low-intensity exercise. If you eat regular meals and do not typically engage in extremely long exercise sessions, the level of ketone bodies in your blood will be highest after an overnight fast. This level will drop when you eat breakfast and will remain low as long as you eat regular meals with moderate to high carbohydrate content. Ketone Bodi Continue reading >>

Ketone Bodies

Ketone bodies Acetone Acetoacetic acid (R)-beta-Hydroxybutyric acid Ketone bodies are three water-soluble molecules (acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and their spontaneous breakdown product, acetone) that are produced by the liver from fatty acids[1] during periods of low food intake (fasting), carbohydrate restrictive diets, starvation, prolonged intense exercise,[2], alcoholism or in untreated (or inadequately treated) type 1 diabetes mellitus. These ketone bodies are readily picked up by the extra-hepatic tissues, and converted into acetyl-CoA which then enters the citric acid cycle and is oxidized in the mitochondria for energy.[3] In the brain, ketone bodies are also used to make acetyl-CoA into long-chain fatty acids. Ketone bodies are produced by the liver under the circumstances listed above (i.e. fasting, starving, low carbohydrate diets, prolonged exercise and untreated type 1 diabetes mellitus) as a result of intense gluconeogenesis, which is the production of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources (not including fatty acids).[1] They are therefore always released into the blood by the liver together with newly produced glucose, after the liver glycogen stores have been depleted (these glycogen stores are depleted after only 24 hours of fasting)[1]. When two acetyl-CoA molecules lose their -CoAs, (or Co-enzyme A groups) they can form a (covalent) dimer called acetoacetate. Beta-hydroxybutyrate is a reduced form of acetoacetate, in which the ketone group is converted into an alcohol (or hydroxyl) group (see illustration on the right). Both are 4-carbon molecules, that can readily be converted back into acetyl-CoA by most tissues of the body, with the notable exception of the liver. Acetone is the decarboxylated form of acetoacetate which cannot be converted Continue reading >>

Blood Ketones

On This Site Tests: Urine Ketones (see Urinalysis - The Chemical Exam); Blood Gases; Glucose Tests Elsewhere On The Web Ask a Laboratory Scientist Your questions will be answered by a laboratory scientist as part of a voluntary service provided by one of our partners, the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS). Click on the Contact a Scientist button below to be re-directed to the ASCLS site to complete a request form. If your question relates to this web site and not to a specific lab test, please submit it via our Contact Us page instead. Thank you. Continue reading >>

What Are Ketones? Everything You Need To Know

One miraculous energy source has garnered the attention of many nutrition experts and researchers over the past decade. No, it is not carbohydrates, fats, or even protein. We call them ketones or ketone bodies (more on the difference between the two later). To your body, however, ketones are nothing new. In fact, your heart and renal cortex (the part of the kidney where ultrafiltration occurs) are using ketones as fuel right now. These cells prefer to use ketones instead of sugar. After days of fasting or ketogenic dieting, ketone production increases and other cells like your muscle and brain cells start to use them for energy as well. This is the primary goal of the ketogenic diet, but why does it matter? Ketones are just another fuel source, right? The Benefits of Using Ketones For Energy (Rather Than Sugar) Glucose is the primary energy source for almost every cell in the body. This is because it can be broken down into energy much more quickly than any other fuel source, and it does this without the help of the mitochondria (the main energy producing component of the cell). Using glucose for fuel, however, comes with some negative effects. What we gain in quickness, we lose in efficiency. During the process of sugar burning more free radicals and reactive oxygen species (harmful compounds that can cause cell damage) are released and less energy is created than when we use ketones and fat for fuel. Ketones are a more efficient fuel source that inhibits the production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. This leads to a host of benefits, especially for the brain cells that use ketones instead of sugar for fuel. For example, studies done on people with different types of cognitive issues from Parkinson’s disease to epilepsy confirm that using ketones as fue Continue reading >>

Keto Basics

If you follow the ebb and flow of the dietary industry, then you have probably heard of the term “ketosis,” “ketones,” or “the ketogenic diet.” You generally hear reference to them when we talk about low-carb, higher fat diets. In a society where low-fat/no-fat is pretty much the accepted standard, this whole low-carb/high-fat concept can seem a little… out there. Especially when there is so much confusion about what ketones are and what they do. THEN, I start talking about the possibility of supplementing with ketones – and people get even more confused. So let’s unpack all of this, learn a little more about ketones, and why taking a supplement might actually be a good thing. Let’s start with the basics. What ARE ketones and what is ketosis? When we think of the body’s natural fuel source, we think of glucose, or sugar. We know that our body needs to use sugar as a fuel, but what many people don’t realize is that fats can be an equally, and even superior, fuel source to the body. The process of ketosis refers to the body’s ability to use fats as its primary source of energy, over glucose. When the body burns fat, it produces three bi-products of fat breakdown, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), acetoacetate (ACA) and acetone. These bi-products are called Ketones. This is a naturally occurring process and it’s what allows our bodies to survive during times of food restriction. When an individual begins to follow a low carbohydrate diet, the body has to look for another fuel source, and it turns to fatty acids and fat stores to provide that much needed energy. The liver breaks down the fat, and releases ketones into the blood to be used by the brain and other organs to produce energy. The interesting thing about ketones is that BHB may be a more effici Continue reading >>

What Are Ketones And Why Is Everybody Talking About Them?

How long can you go without eating? We all fast while we sleep (unless you get up for a midnight snack). That’s why the first meal of the day is referred to as breakfast – it breaks the fast. Although most people in modern society seem unable to go more than a few hours without food, it actually turns out that the human body is designed to fast. Fasting creates ketones. What are Ketones? Before the proliferation of grocery stores and fast food chains, food was not as plentiful. There were cycles of feast and famine. In times of feast the body stores excess calories as body fat reserves so that during times of famine the cells are able to use the stored body fat as a fuel source. Think about a bear fattening up in autumn for a long winter of hibernation and emerging in the spring lean and hungry. Most people think of carbohydrates as the primary fuel source of the body. However, in times of carbohydrate deprivation, most of the cells in the body are able to use fat for fuel, except for those in the brain. As the muscles and other organs begin to burn fat, the liver starts to produce ketone bodies. Also known as ketones, ketone bodies act as a fuel source for the brain. When the brain begins to use ketones for fuel, cognitive ability and mental focus increase, bodily functions become more efficient, and fat metabolism kicks into high gear. This is referred to as ketosis or the Keto Zone. It turns out that ketosis is actually the natural state of human metabolism. From the moment human children are born and begin consuming mother’s milk, they are in a mild state of ketosis. It is not until the introduction of a consistent supply of high sugar and starch foods that a human’s metabolism will switch out of a state of ketosis. As children we begin consuming copious amo Continue reading >>

Ketone Bodies: A Review Of Physiology, Pathophysiology And Application Of Monitoring To Diabetes.

Abstract Ketone bodies are produced by the liver and used peripherally as an energy source when glucose is not readily available. The two main ketone bodies are acetoacetate (AcAc) and 3-beta-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), while acetone is the third, and least abundant, ketone body. Ketones are always present in the blood and their levels increase during fasting and prolonged exercise. They are also found in the blood of neonates and pregnant women. Diabetes is the most common pathological cause of elevated blood ketones. In diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), high levels of ketones are produced in response to low insulin levels and high levels of counterregulatory hormones. In acute DKA, the ketone body ratio (3HB:AcAc) rises from normal (1:1) to as high as 10:1. In response to insulin therapy, 3HB levels commonly decrease long before AcAc levels. The frequently employed nitroprusside test only detects AcAc in blood and urine. This test is inconvenient, does not assess the best indicator of ketone body levels (3HB), provides only a semiquantitative assessment of ketone levels and is associated with false-positive results. Recently, inexpensive quantitative tests of 3HB levels have become available for use with small blood samples (5-25 microl). These tests offer new options for monitoring and treating diabetes and other states characterized by the abnormal metabolism of ketone bodies. Continue reading >>

What Are Ketones And Ketosis?

Ketones, B-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), acetoacetate (ACA) and acetone, are the by-products of fat breakdown. Ketones can be used by the tissues, including the brain, in the body in much the same way as glucose, and are thought to be a superior fuel source to glucose. Being in a state of ketosis refers to having elevated blood levels of ketones. Continue reading >>

What Are Ketones And Are They Dangerous?

Ketones are acids made when your body begins using fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. This happens when there is not enough insulin to get sugar from the blood into the cells, and the body turns fat into energy. When fat is broken down, ketone bodies are made and can accumulate in the body. This condition is called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, and is often the first sign of diabetes before diagnosis. If blood glucose is within a safe range and someone is trying to lose weight, the presence of small amounts of ketones may be perfectly normal. However, with diabetes it is critical that both ketones and blood glucose are closely monitored even if someone is trying to lose weight. Moderate to large ketones may mean that diabetes is out of control. This can be a sign of a potentially dangerous situation. Ketones alter the chemical balance of the blood. DKA does not usually occur unless there are large urine ketones or high blood ketones. If left undiagnosed or untreated, they can poison the body. This requires immediate medical attention. Do not exercise when ketones are high; it may actually increase ketones. Some of the causes of DKA are: Illness Forgetting to take one or more insulin shots Not enough insulin An insulin pump that is not delivering. This is usually due to kinked, obstructed or dislodged infusion catheter. This may result in DKA in as little as three hours. Giving “spoiled” insulin. Insulin that got too hot (over 90º F) or froze. Symptoms of ketoacidosis include those for high blood glucose plus: “Fruity” smelling breath Nausea Vomiting Stomach cramps Confusion Unconsciousness Shortness of breath Unusual thirst Illness can cause blood glucose levels to rise and lead to ketoacidosis. In order to prevent this from happening, there are importan Continue reading >>

What Are The Optimal Ketone Levels For A Ketogenic Diet?

If you’ve just started a ketogenic diet, then you’ll know that it can be really tough to figure out if you’re doing keto right. Am I eating too many carbs? Too much protein? Should I still be feeling tired? When is the fat burning supposed to start? It’s confusing, and one of the most confusing aspects is what your optimal ketone levels are supposed to be. Unlike most other diets, the ketogenic diet is designed to put your body into a state of ketosis in order to get your body to start burning ketones instead of the glucose that it usually burns when you eat a high carb standard American diet (SAD). But to know whether you’re in ketosis and whether your body has enough ketones circulating for you to use as energy instead of glucose, you have to measure your actual ketone levels and then determine whether they’re high enough for you to be reaping the benefits of the ketogenic diet. If you’ve tried searching for this information already, then you’ll know that there’s some controversy depending on which expert you follow. So in this article, we’ll tell you exactly what the different experts are suggesting are the optimal ketone levels as well as give you recommendations for what ketone levels you should be aiming for depending on your goals with a ketogenic diet. A Few Quick Notes Before We Start… If you’re looking for signs other than testing your actual body ketone levels as to whether you’re in ketosis or not, then please check out this article instead that provides you with signs you’re in ketosis. If you’re a type 1 diabetic, then this article is not for you and the optimal ketone levels suggested below are not applicable to you. Please check out the tons of other ketone level articles on the web to ensure your ketone levels do not reach Continue reading >>

What Are Ketones?

Ketones are an efficient source of energy that the body naturally produces when pushed to its limits. Also called ketone bodies, these molecules are produced by the liver from fatty acids during periods of fasting, carbohydrate restriction, or prolonged exercise. Ketones may sound like a new discovery, but the human body has been able to produce them since prehistoric times. During varying seasons of feast or famine, ketones enabled prehistoric man to sustain focus and energy while on the hunt for food. Our brains are glucose dependent, but are able to utilize ketones for energy as well, primarily β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) and acetoacetate (AcAc). In human biology, there are three different molecules that have a ‘ketone’ group that are found in the body: βHB, AcAc, and acetone. These biological ketones are a fuel source that our bodies can naturally produce from breaking down dietary fat or our body’s fat stores. We can also elevate our blood ketone levels through consuming exogenous ketones, namely ketone ester or salt drinks. It can take many days for ketone production to rise, depending on your individual metabolism. The evolutionary function of ketones is to provide a fuel for the brain when blood glucose falls, because fats in their unprocessed form can’t fuel the brain. Fats cannot cross the blood-brain barrier–so ketone production means that the energy stored as fat can be used to sustain the brain. Research shows that during starvation, as ketone levels increase, the brain can get up to 60% of its energy from ketones1. Other than keeping our brains going, ketones can help increase insulin sensitivity, control blood glucose levels, lower blood pressure, reduce cravings, improve cholesterol, aid in weight loss, improve energy, and more. Ketone Metabolis Continue reading >>

What Are Ketones?

Ketones are harmful chemicals which your body produces when there is too little or no insulin Ketones are harmful chemicals which your body produces when there is too little or no insulin. When you detect ketones in your body, it is a warning sign that your blood glucose level is too high and you need to bring it down immediately. How to Check for Ketones? The easiest way to check for ketones is to use a urine or blood ketone test. Your doctor or nurse can advise you on which ketone test to use. Most ketone test kits come in packages of strips or individually wrapped strips (which can be kept longer). To get accurate results from ketone tests, follow instructions carefully. If you are not sure, always ask your doctor or nurse to show you. Here’s how most urine ketone tests work: First, check that the strips are not beyond their expiry date. Collect a sample of your urine in a clean container. Place a strip in the urine sample. Alternatively, pass it through your urine stream. Shake off excess urine from the strip. Wait for the strip to change colour. Compare the strip to the colour chart on the strip bottle to get an indication of the amount of ketones in your urine. Record your results When to Check for Ketones? Check for ketones if you have any of these symptoms: your blood glucose is 14 mmol/L or higher fatigue constant thirst or a dry mouth frequent urination blurry vision (as if you’re looking through a dirty window) vomiting diarrhoea have trouble breathing When to Seek Help? If the ketone test shows small or trace amounts of ketones, it could mean that ketone is starting to build up in your Continue reading >>