K Is For Ketones
Ketones are good for you. No, they’re bad. With one exception, I don’t think that there’s any diabetes disagreement that is more serious than this one about ketones. The exception is whether a low-carbohydrate diet is something that you should follow, particularly if you want to lose weight. Is a low-carb diet good or bad for you? Actually, some of the reason that we differ on the answer to that diet question is because we can’t agree on ketones. We do know what ketones are. Ketones are acids released into the blood when your body breaks down its stores of fat and burns it for energy. Two things can cause your body to do that. One is when you don’t have enough glucose to use for energy. The other is when your insulin level is too low. In either case your body then make ketones, which are waste products that might cause the acid level in your blood to become too high. Since ketones are a waste produce, you pass them in the urine. That means you can detect them with a urine test, which has been the traditional, but sometimes messy way check them. Now, however, you can do that with a blood test that measures a specific ketone called beta-hydroxybuyric acid. In fact, two meters will measure either your ketones or your blood glucose. Abbott Diabetes Care offers the Precision Xtra. Polymer Technology Systems has the CardioChek, which can also measure lipid levels. It’s handy to have a meter that measures both, because when are your blood glucose level is higher than 240 mg/dl (13.3 mmol/L), you need to test for ketones too. But it’s not only when your blood glucose is high that you might have ketones in your blood. You may have ketones if you are pregnant and have diabetes. That’s the third major type of diabetes, which we call gestational diabetes. And if you Continue reading >>
An Inconvenient Truth About Ketone Levels
Too many keto "gurus" make bold, one-size-fits-all claims about ketone levels. Learn how to separate truth from myth! If you've been following a ketogenic diet for a while, or spent any time frequenting forums and blogs dedicated to this way of eating, you've probably figured out by now that nutritionist JJ Virgin nailed it: The human body is not a bank account, where you can make precise deposits or withdrawals and know exactly what your balance will be afterward. If only it were that simple! The success stories and frustrated rants on various keto platforms across the internet point to something that should be fairly obvious: People are different. (Shocking, I know!) Two people can eat the exact same number of calories, in the exact same macronutrient ratios, and even eat the same exact foods, yet have completely different ketone levels, energy, and fat-loss results. The widespread existence of keto myths makes adapting and thriving more difficult than it should be for newcomers to keto. Learn the truth about these four common keto myths to calm your ketone (or lack thereof)-induced stress! Myth 1 Higher Ketones Lead to More (or Faster) Fat Loss If there is one myth I wish would die a fiery, painful death, it's this one. Why? Ketone production is the result of lipolysis (the breakdown of fat)—not a direct cause of fat loss. This applies to blood-, breath-, and urine-ketone levels. To further refute this erroneous claim, think about this: It's possible to have elevated ketones and gain body fat. Trust me, you could mainline mayonnaise and nothing else to the tune of 8,000 calories a day and be in ketosis. I wouldn't place a bet on you leaning out much, though. Fat loss doesn't come from being in deep ketosis; it comes from choosing the right foods in the right amount Continue reading >>
Ketoacidosis Versus Ketosis
Some medical professionals confuse ketoacidosis, an extremely abnormal form of ketosis, with the normal benign ketosis associated with ketogenic diets and fasting states in the body. They will then tell you that ketosis is dangerous. Testing Laboratory Microbiology - Air Quality - Mold Asbestos - Environmental - Lead emsl.com Ketosis is NOT Ketoacidosis The difference between the two conditions is a matter of volume and flow rate*: Benign nutritional ketosis is a controlled, insulin regulated process which results in a mild release of fatty acids and ketone body production in response to either a fast from food, or a reduction in carbohydrate intake. Ketoacidosis is driven by a lack of insulin in the body. Without insulin, blood sugar rises to high levels and stored fat streams from fat cells. This excess amount of fat metabolism results in the production of abnormal quantities of ketones. The combination of high blood sugar and high ketone levels can upset the normal acid/base balance in the blood and become dangerous. In order to reach a state of ketoacidosis, insulin levels must be so low that the regulation of blood sugar and fatty acid flow is impaired. *See this reference paper. Here's a table of the actual numbers to show the differences in magnitude: Body Condition Quantity of Ketones Being Produced After a meal: 0.1 mmol/L Overnight Fast: 0.3 mmol/L Ketogenic Diet (Nutritional ketosis): 1-8 mmol/L >20 Days Fasting: 10 mmol/L Uncontrolled Diabetes (Ketoacidosis): >20 mmol/L Here's a more detailed explanation: Fact 1: Every human body maintains the blood and cellular fluids within a very narrow range between being too acidic (low pH) and too basic (high pH). If the blood pH gets out of the normal range, either too low or too high, big problems happen. Fact 2: The Continue reading >>
The Truth About Ketosis & Low-carb Diets, Backed By Science
A lot of people are confused by the term “ketosis.” You may read that it is a “dangerous state” for the body, and it does sound abnormal to be “in ketosis.” But ketosis merely means that our bodies are using fat for energy. Ketones (also called ketone bodies) are molecules generated during fat metabolism, whether from the fat in the almonds you just ate or fat you were carrying around your middle. When our bodies are breaking down fat for energy, most of it gets converted to energy, but ketones are also produced as part of the process. When people eat less carbohydrates, their bodies turn to fat for energy, so it makes sense that more ketones are generated. Some of those ketones (acetoacetate and ß-hydroxybutyrate) are used for energy; the heart muscle and kidneys, for example, prefer ketones to glucose. Most cells, including the brain cells, are able to use ketones for at least part of their energy. Is ketosis a bad thing? There is an assumption that if a body is burning a lot of fat for energy, it must not be getting “enough” glucose. However, there is no indication, from studying people on reduced carbohydrate diets, that this is the case (though there is usually a short period of adjustment, less than a week, in most cases). It takes about 72 hours to burn up all of the reserve glycogen (sugar loads). Although it’s true that our bodies can’t break fat down directly into glucose (though, interestingly, they easily use glucose to make fat), our bodies can convert some of the protein we eat into glucose. Indeed, this works well for people who don’t tolerate a lot of sugar, because this conversion happens slowly so it doesn’t spike blood glucose. What is the danger of ketosis? It is important that if you are following a ketogenic nutritional pro Continue reading >>
Ketosis
There is a lot of confusion about the term ketosis among medical professionals as well as laypeople. It is important to understand when and why nutritional ketosis occurs, and why it should not be confused with the metabolic disorder we call ketoacidosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state where the liver produces small organic molecules called ketone bodies. Most cells in the body can use ketone bodies as a source of energy. When there is a limited supply of external energy sources, such as during prolonged fasting or carbohydrate restriction, ketone bodies can provide energy for most organs. In this situation, ketosis can be regarded as a reasonable, adaptive physiologic response that is essential for life, enabling us to survive periods of famine. Nutritional ketosis should not be confused with ketoacidosis, a metabolic condition where the blood becomes acidic as a result of the accumulation of ketone bodies. Ketoacidosis can have serious consequences and may need urgent medical treatment. The most common forms are diabetic ketoacidosis and alcoholic ketoacidosis. What Is Ketosis? The human body can be regarded as a biologic machine. Machines need energy to operate. Some use gasoline, others use electricity, and some use other power resources. Glucose is the primary fuel for most cells and organs in the body. To obtain energy, cells must take up glucose from the blood. Once glucose enters the cells, a series of metabolic reactions break it down into carbon dioxide and water, releasing energy in the process. The body has an ability to store excess glucose in the form of glycogen. In this way, energy can be stored for later use. Glycogen consists of long chains of glucose molecules and is primarily found in the liver and skeletal muscle. Liver glycogen stores are used to mai Continue reading >>
Diabetes & Ketogenic Diet: Can You Manage Your Diabetes On A Ketogenic Diet?
In this article we will cover what a Ketogenic diet is and if you can manage your diabetes while on this diet. Ketogenic diet for diabetics is a highly controversial topic, but we will break down everything here for you! As a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), I have to tell you from the start I will have a biased view here. Sorry, but I feel that I need to be completely honest right up front! I will however, present all the evidence that is available currently on the subject. As a CDE, I have been taught to follow the American Diabetes Association Dietary Guidelines for Americans which is low in carbohydrates, high in fiber, with fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. The Ketogenic Diet this article will be discussing is much lower in carbohydrates, in order to promote the state of nutritional ketosis, or the fat burning state for weight loss. What is a Ketogenic Diet? The Ketogenic Diet is a low carbohydrate diet, consisting initially of less than 20 carbohydrates per day. Not per meal, yes, you heard me correctly, per day. It is not for the faint of heart and yes I am writing from experience. Of course I have tried it! Hasn’t everybody in America at some point who has wanted to lose weight? Does it work you ask? Of course it does! The problem is how long can you keep it up? Your body uses the carbohydrates you eat for energy, so if we restrict how many carbohydrates we eat, the body has to get its fuel source from fat. A byproduct of this fat burning state are ketones which are produced; this is called nutritional ketosis. You can determine if you are in this fat burning state by purchasing urine ketone testing strips from your local pharmacy. The Ketogenic Diet with Diabetes Some precautions must be made clear; this diet is not appropriate for people with any Continue reading >>
When And How To Check For Them
Information provided about specific medical procedures or conditions is for educational purposes to allow for educated, on-going discussion with your vet and is not intended to replace veterinary advice. Diabetic Cat Care Ketones Many of us have heard of ketogenic diets; used often by bodybuilders, or to help with weight loss. The science is that by keeping the body in a ketone producing state, fat stores will be used by the body, weight will drop off much more quickly. That may be fine for humans, but producing ketones is the last state we want our diabetic cats to be in. Ketones occur when the body cannot access blood glucose for energy. Left untreated, ketones build up in the system and can lead to a life threatening situation called Diabetic Ketoacidosis, also known as DKA. While development of ketones is not an "immediate emergency", the progression of excessive ketones which develop into diabetic ketoacidosis IS a very real emergency situation requiring immediate veterinary care and very aggressive treatment. Catching ketones at low levels, before they get out of control, and then taking immediate and appropriate action can save your cat’s life. Ketones are a direct result of hyperglycemia (high BG). Ketones can develop because of not enough insulin, illness, infection, and/or anorexia. In humans, ketones can be produced when the body burns too much fat storage for energy. While practicing TR it is very rare for a cat to produce ketones once the BG is well regulated. That said, at the start of TR, right after diagnosis, if your cat is sick, or when making an insulin switch, its strongly recommended as a precaution to test for ketones if your cat is over renal threshold (225/12.5) for longer than a day. For those cats prone to quick ketone production, checking fo Continue reading >>
Metabolism And Ketosis
Dr. Eades, If the body tends to resort to gluconeogenesis for glucose during a short-term carbohydrate deficit, are those who inconsistently reduce carb intake only messing things up by not effecting full blown ketosis? If the body will still prefer glucose as main energy source unless forced otherwise for at least a few days, is it absolutely necessary to completely transform metabolism for minimal muscle loss? Also, if alcohol is broken down into ketones and acetaldehyde, technically couldn’t you continue to drink during your diet or would the resulting gluconeogenesis inhibition from alcohol lead to blood glucose problems on top of the ketotic metabolism? Would your liver ever just be overwhelmed by all that action? I’m still in high school so hypothetical, of course haha… Sorry, lots of questions but I’m always so curious. Thank you so much for taking the time to inform the public. You’re my hero! P.S. Random question…what’s the difference between beta and gamma hydroxybutyric acids? It’s crazy how simple orientation can be the difference between a ketone and date rape drug…biochem is so cool! P.P.S. You should definitely post the details of that inner mitochondrial membrane transport. I’m curious how much energy expenditure we’re talkin there.. Keep doin your thing! Your Fan, Trey No, I don’t think people are messing up if they don’t get into full-blown ketosis. For short term low-carb dieting, the body turns to glycogen. Gluconeogenesis kicks in fairly quickly, though, and uses dietary protein – assuming there is plenty – before turning to muscle tissue for glucose substrate. And you have the Cori cycle kicking in and all sorts of things to spare muscle, so I wouldn’t worry about it. And you can continue to drink while low-carbing. Continue reading >>
Ketones In Urine During Pregnancy
Ketones in the urine during pregnancy is a health concern which some women experience during those crucial nine months. Although, it is not a high-risk pregnancy complication, studies reveal that it can be a cause of worry. Ketones are substances derived from fat breakdown. They are used by the body as a source of energy under emergency circumstances, like starvation or glucose deficiency, in order to survive. In other words, ketones in the urine are formed when the body's fat reserves are used to generate energy. Ketones in the blood further leads to ketosis. Weakness, nausea, lethargy, and excess sweating are signs of ketosis. Occurrence Our body gets its energy from the food we eat, which gets converted into glucose or blood sugar. It is insulin which provides an easy access to this blood sugar. During pregnancy, the placental hormones make the body resistant to insulin, which subsequently restricts the glucose in the blood from entering the cells. Hence, though the blood will be enriched with blood sugar, the cells will be deprived of the required energy. As a result, the cells start accessing other energy sources, like the fat stores, resulting in ketones as the byproduct of this entire process. Causes There can be various factors that may contribute to large ketones in the urine during pregnancy; dehydration and bad diet, to name a few. Others are enlisted below: ➤ Not getting enough calories from the food you are eating ➤ Long time intervals between meals ➤ Skipping meals or snacks ➤ Gestational diabetes ➤ Diets which include low intake of carbohydrates ➤ Dehydration - not drinking enough water ➤ Metabolic disorders ➤ Nausea, poor eating habits or throwing up ➤ Insulin resistance from hormones as a result of which the body is unable to access bl Continue reading >>
A New Toy Measuring Blood Ketones
I just got a new toy: a device for measuring blood ketones. This is a far more exact and reliable measurement than testing for urine ketones using cheap dipsticks. Ketosis is of course the state the body is in when eating very low carb. Ketones, made from fat, will then fuel the brain instead of glucose. So who needs one of these gadgets? Perhaps nobody. Obviously it’s easy to eat LCHF without it. This is for curious nerds (like me) and for those who want definite proof that they are eating so little carbs that insulin levels are low and fat burning is maximized. A ketone level somewhere between 1.5 – 3 is said to be an optimal level for maximizing weight loss. It means that insulin levels are very low. As you can see my first measurement was 0.2, after a caesar sallad dinner. I’m not surprised as I’ve probably eaten at least 50 grams of carbs a day lately. I will try it out fasting in the mornings during the coming days. Perhaps I’ll try being really strict with the carbs for a while to see what happens. Have you tried one of these or are you interested in doing it? Continue reading >>
Ketones And Children With Type 1 Diabetes – What’s Important?
What are ketones and when do you check for them in children with type one diabetes? This is a common question I get! I think when children are diagnosed, this a frequent part of the education that is easily forgotten or misunderstood due to the overwhelming amount of information being taught. So let’s look at why we would check ketones, how to check them, what the colors on the strips mean, and what to do if ketones are present. Why Check Ketones: When someone with type 1 diabetes does not not get enough insulin, their blood sugar levels rise, so the body is forced to use fat for energy. When fat is used for energy for an extended period of time, ketones develop. Ketones are a waste product of fat. If someone with type 1 diabetes does not get enough insulin, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can develop. The length of time it takes and how high one’s blood sugar are varies, however DKA can occur in a few hours. Symptoms of DKA: high blood sugars ketones in blood and urine nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain confusion lethargy (tired, sluggish, weak) difficulty breathing unconsciousness DKA is a very serious and life threatening situation. Speak with your health care providers to determine how you are to treat ketones and when you are to go to the emergency room. When to check ketones: Your doctor can tell you exactly, but usually when your blood sugars are over 250, especially if the blood sugar is not responding to insulin and remaining high after the second blood sugar check. Always check ketones when your child is sick, even if blood sugar numbers are not high. Anytime your child has nausea and vomiting, check ketones. How to check ketones: Ketones can be checked by using ketone urine strips. To check ketones, urinate on a strip, or collect urine and dip stick into ur Continue reading >>
Ketone Supplements: More Harm Than Good?
Enjoy this article co-authored with my dear friend, Tatiana Schallert, who is co-serving with me, my ministry, and my family. I AM Love, Dr. Sharnael Have you noticed that Ketone supplements are so popular recently? I know my Facebook newsfeed is buzzing with different articles and brands promoting ketones. I honestly had no clue what the deal was so I decided to do some research, which is exactly what I encourage you to do before jumping on the bandwagon. There is a lot of information out there on this topic right now and from what I found – taking Exogenous Ketones may be more harmful than good. What are Ketones? Ketones are produced in the liver from fatty acids. Then they are consumed as alternative fuel by the body, particularly the brain, when blood sugar (glucose) is in short supply. The brain consumes lots of energy every day and it can’t run on fat directly – only in the form of glucose or ketones. Ketones are popularly known as “brain fuel.” Eating a no-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet encourages the body to organically reach a state of Ketosis. It takes about 72 hours for the liver to be in full ketosis so the kidney can assimilate the changes as the ketones gradually increase. Then it takes about two weeks for your body to adjust to the new pathway. What Is Ketosis? When the body produces ketones it’s said to be in ketosis (you can test ketone levels through urine tests). The fastest way to get there is by fasting. However, fasting is not something we do forever. On the other hand, a low-carb or “keto” diet also leads to ketosis and is a more sustainable option. The idea of a ketogenic diet is to get the body to switch its fuel supply to run almost entirely on fat. As insulin levels become very low, fat burning increases dramatically Continue reading >>
6 Health Benefits Of Ketogenesis And Ketone Bodies
With heavy coverage in the media, ketogenic diets are all the rage right now. And for a good reason; for some people, they truly work. But what do all these different terms like ketogenesis and ketone bodies actually mean? Firstly, this article takes a look at what the ketogenesis pathway is and what ketone bodies do. Following this, it will examine six potential health benefits of ketones and nutritional ketosis. What is Ketogenesis? Ketogenesis is a biochemical process through which the body breaks down fatty acids into ketone bodies (we’ll come to those in a minute). Synthesis of ketone bodies through ketogenesis kicks in during times of carbohydrate restriction or periods of fasting. When carbohydrate is in short supply, ketones become the default energy source for our body. As a result, a diet to induce ketogenesis should ideally restrict carb intake to a maximum of around 50 grams per day (1, 2). Ketogenesis may also occur at slightly higher levels of carbohydrate intake, but for the full benefits, it is better to aim lower. When ketogenesis takes place, the body produces ketone bodies as an alternative fuel to glucose. This physiological state is known as ‘nutritional ketosis’ – the primary objective of ketogenic diets. There are various methods you can use to test if you are “in ketosis”. Key Point: Ketogenesis is a biological pathway that breaks fats down into a form of energy called ketone bodies. What Are Ketone Bodies? Ketone bodies are water-soluble compounds that act as a form of energy in the body. There are three major types of ketone body; Acetoacetate Beta-hydroxybutyrate Acetone (a compound created through the breakdown of acetoacetate) The first thing to remember is that these ketones satisfy our body’s energy requirements in the same w Continue reading >>
Ketoacidosis
Ketones in the urine, as detected by urine testing stix or a blood ketone testing meter[1], may indicate the beginning of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a dangerous and often quickly fatal condition caused by low insulin levels combined with certain other systemic stresses. DKA can be fixed if caught quickly. Diabetics of all species therefore need to be checked for ketones with urine testing stix, available at any pharmacy, whenever insulin level may be too low, and any of the following signs or triggers are present: Ketone Monitoring Needed: Little or no insulin in last 12 hours High blood sugar over 16 mmol/L or 300 mg/dL (though with low insulin, lower as well...) Dehydration (skin doesn't jump back after pulling a bit gums are tacky or dry)[2] Not eating for over 12 hours due to Inappetance or Fasting Vomiting Lethargy Infection or illness High stress levels Breath smells like acetone (nail-polish remover) or fruit. Note that the triggers and signs are somewhat interchangeable because ketoacidosis is, once begun, a set of vicious circles which will make itself worse. So dehydration, hyperglycemia, fasting, and presence of ketones are not only signs, they're also sometimes triggers. In a diabetic, any urinary ketones above trace, or any increase in urinary ketone level, or trace urinary ketones plus some of the symptoms above, are cause to call an emergency vet immediately, at any hour of the day. Possible False Urine Ketone Test Results Drugs and Supplements Valproic Acid (brand names) Depakene, Depakote, Divalproex Sodium[3] Positive. Common use: Treatment of epilepsy. Cefixime/Suprax[4] Positive with nitroprusside-based urine testing. Common use: Antibiotic. Levadopa Metabolites[5] Positive with high concentrations[6]. Tricyclic Ring Compounds[7][8] Positive. Commo Continue reading >>
What Are Ketones And Are They Healthy?
What Are Ketones and Are They Healthy? If you are up on your health news or follow anyone in the health field, you have likely heard the term ketogenic diet. The goal of the ketogenic diet is to adapt the body to utilize fat as its primary fuel source instead of sugar. The body does this by first converting fat into what are called ketones that the cells can then burn as fuel. It is at this point that I typically get asked, what are ketones? In this article, I am going to clear up any gaps, explain exactly how ketogenisis works, and why it can be so beneficial for the human body. Biological Role of Ketones For our ancestors, eating three meals a day just wasn’t a thing. Instead they would hunt and forage for the foods they could find. When there wasn’t food, they wouldn’t eat. What this means is that sometimes they would go for days at a time with no food. To sustain life during times of scarcity, the body is thought to have developed the ability to utilize fat as an alternative fuel source. In a traditional nutrition course, you would learn that sugar is the body’s primary fuel source while fat is a secondary fuel source. When sugar stores are burned up, the cells then convert to burning fat as an energy source. What we are finding out now is that fat can actually be a healthier and more sustainable source of energy. Our Society Is Full of Sugar Burners Modern day, we have an abundance of food that is available to us at all times. Most of us regularly eat three meals a day with intermittent snacking in between. This kind of frequent eating, along with an overemphasis on carb-rich and sugary foods, causes a reduced ability to burn fat. As these foods damage our bodies on a metabolic level, we actually lose the ability to produce ketones. This type of reliance on Continue reading >>
