Measuring Ketones

An important aspect of the Ketogenic Diet is knowing how high the ketone levels are.

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• There are three types of Ketones beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB), acetone (Ac) and acetoacetate (AcAc).
• AcAc is measured in the urine
  • Easy and cheap
  • Not accurate (semi-quantative) but image analysis (KetoAnalysis) helps
  • Urine levels may not reflect blood levels of AcAc
    • Kidney function
    • Time delay
  • Hydration levels change measured values
  • False positives (trace level) from pigmented urine
  • False positives from vitamin C, medication, etc.
  • Levels of AcAc can be quite different to BOHB levels
• BOHB is measured in the blood
  • Slightly painful
  • Expensive
  • Accurate
  • Recommend meter and sources.
• Acetone can be measured in the breath
  • Not readily available – experimental
  • Unclear what the cost will be
  • Overcomes problem of kidney filtration seen with Urine AcAc measurement
  • Some delay between blood ketone changes
  • Levels of Acetone and AcAc can be quite different to BOHB levels

1 See Also

• The classifications and types of Low Carbohydrate Diet.
• An introduction to the Ketogenic Diet.
• My experiences with ultrarunning on the Ketogenic Diet
  • How the Ketogenic Diet can be used for the treatment and management of disease.
    • Using the Ketogenic Diets to mitigate and treat Epilepsy
    • How Ketogenic Diets might help with Cancer
    • A look at the possible mechanisms of action of the Ketogenic Diet
  • Health Risks of the Ketogenic Diet
    • Health Checks for the Ketogenic Diet
    • Supplements for the Ketogenic Diet
  • The time frame and changes that occur with Ketoadaptation
  • What are Ketones
    • How to measure Ketones
    • What ketone levels to aim for
  • The pros and cons of the Ketogenic Diet for athletes
    • The Science of Ketogenic Exercise
  • The Types of Ketogenic Diet
    • The "traditional" Ketogenic Diet based on the Ketogenic Ratio
      • The ways the Ketogenic Ratio can be calculated
        • The different definitions of Net Carbohydrates
    • Low Glycemic Index Treatment
    • MCT Diet
      • MCT
    • Modified Atkins Diet (M.A.D.)
• My Ketogenic Recipes
• Non-Ketogenic Low Carbohydrate Diets