Today, I review, link to, and embed Metabolic Mind‘s “Keto 101: Everything You Need to Know About Ketone Testing”.
All that follows is from the above resource.
Keto 101: Everything You Need to Know About Ketone Testing
110K subscribers
ChaptersTranscriptWhy should you test ketones?
So, you’ve started a ketogenic diet.
You’re limiting the carbs, you’re eating the healthy fats,
but one question may kind of be bugging you like,
“Am I doing it right?
Am I actually in ketosis?”
Well, today we’re talking about ketone testing,
the what, the how, and the when.
So let’s kick it off.
So first, why do we test?
Well, essentially, I
guess for two reasons.
One to see if you’re in ketosis, and two
to see how deep in ketosis you are.
Now, what’s interesting is a keto diet is
really the only diet that can objectively
tell you if you’re doing it “right”
and I put “right” in the air quotes.
There are many versions of a keto diet,
but the goal is to allow
your body to switch from
burning primarily glucose for energy
to burning primarily fat for
energy and in the process
creating ketones.
So testing is a great way to see if
you’re accomplishing that goal.
Does your ketone level matter?
But perhaps the first and most important question is,
does the level of ketosis even matter?
Should we care how
deep in ketosis we are?
Now, if someone’s using ketosis for
general weight loss or
metabolic health, maybe not.
Being “in ketosis” is usually enough, and
they can follow their lab markers, their body composition
to see how they’re doing.
Some may find better results with deeper
ketosis, but often not.
But if someone is using ketogenic therapy
to treat a psychiatric
or brain-based disorder
like depression or bipolar disorder,
the specific number can be vital
for the therapeutic effect.
And that’s going to vary.
And we have another video that talks
about what level people
might want to shoot for.
Okay, but now what about the how?
How do you test your ketones? Ketone testing methods.
How do you test?
Well, one common starting
point is using urine strips.
You pee on them, they change color,
and you match it to the bottle.
These are great for a rough idea in the
first few weeks or months,
but here’s the catch.
First, they’re not super
specific for the level of ketosis.
And second, they measure excess ketones
your body is peeing out.
So, many people find that as you become keto-adapted,
meaning your body gets better at using ketones for energy,
the strips often stop turning dark,
so they can lose accuracy over time.
And surprisingly, I haven’t yet seen any
research on this, but
regardless, it’s a common finding among users.
So urine strips are relatively
inexpensive and can be
directionally helpful early on,
but limited for accuracy and long-term use.
Okay, next up, breath monitors.
These measure the acetone in your breath.
And you just take the little thing, you blow into it,
and it gives you a reading.
So the pro, no finger pricks, no per use cost.
You buy the device once, and you can test
50 times a day if you want.
But the cons, the devices are expensive up front.
And in my view, this is still sort of
emerging technology.
Accuracy can be hit or miss, depending on the brand,
and even how you blow into it,
like your technique can vary.
It’s cost-effective for frequent testers,
but keep that accuracy limitation in mind.
And then we have the capillary or
The most accurate method for testing ketones at home.
finger stick blood monitor.
This is, I guess, for home use,
is the most accurate way to
measure the depth of ketosis.
It measures beta-hydroxybutyrate,
the primary ketone in your blood.
So if you and your clinician have decided
on a specific therapeutic range,
say 1.5 to 3 mmol/L,
for treating cognitive impairment or
depression or something like that,
this is likely the
tool that can be most helpful.
But the cost can add up,
the strips can be expensive over time,
and yes, you have to prick your finger.
So its the presumed gold standard,
aside from going to the lab and getting a blood draw.
But it requires buying the strips and not
being too pain averse to prick your finger.
Alright, so what about the future?
Well, continuous ketone monitors, or CKMs
are available in some parts of the world,
but not yet in the United States.
When these become more widely available,
they could be a game-changer.
I mean, imagine seeing how a specific meal,
or a workout, or
lack of sleep affects your
ketone levels in real time, all day long,
without ever needing to prick your finger.
So stay tuned for those, I think they’re
going to revolutionize
how we track ketosis and metabolic health.
So that’s how to test, but what about
When and how often to test your ketones?
when to test, and how often?
And honestly, the answer is it depends.
If someone’s just starting, testing once
in the morning can
really help see if they’re on track.
But again, if they’re managing a
brain-based disorder, they
might test multiple times a
day to see how stress, sleep, and food
affect their ketone levels.
Plus, we know ketone levels vary during
the day, even if nothing else changes.
It’s rarely ever a straight line.
So for some, it may help to understand
their highest and lowest
readings and see how that
impacts their mood, their memory, and so forth.
As for the timing, many suggest testing
upon waking in the morning
and again before their biggest meal.
Although of course, after meals can be
helpful for some to see
how someone responds to the food.
So again, it comes back to your goals
when determining how
often and when to test.
But here’s an important point.
Don’t let this make you dizzy with all
the decisions in the testing.
Testing ketones is a tool that should
help you feel empowered
and in control of your keto journey.
If it crosses the line to
anxiety-provoking or obsession,
maybe it’s not worth it.
And when in doubt, a consultation with a
keto-trained health coach
or dietitian can be incredibly helpful.
And we have a list of directories at
metabolicmind.org that can
be a good place to start.
And if you’re interested in learning how
others have used
ketogenic therapy to improve their
health and some of their specific tips,
like when and how often to test,
what levels to shoot for,
you can find their profiles at
metabolicmind.org/thinksmart.
So thank you for watching.
I hope this was helpful.
If it was, please like and subscribe.
And if you have further questions that I
didn’t cover, please let
us know and we can cover
those in a future video or even in a
Metabolic Mailbag episode down the road.
I’m Dr. Bret Scher.
We’ll see you here next time at Metabolic Mind,
a nonprofit initiative of Baszucki Group.
