The 'Elusive' Ketones!

[JenniferM55]

There appears to be posters asking questions about ketones, although I'm testing at the moment by using sticks, I'm confused too. A stick I used before I went to bed showed up quite dark, yet in the morning the stick showed there weren't any ketones.... what's going on?

There appears to be many reasons why ketones don't register on a stick:

"Keto pioneers Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek found that keto dieters blew higher readings early on in the diet when they were still burning ketones in the muscle. As they grew adapted to free fatty acids as a source of fuel and produced ketones primarily for the brain, ketone levels dropped. It was totally normal. If anything, they were more fat- and keto-adapted at lower ketone readings."​

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-am-i-getting-low-ketone-readings-on-a-ketogenic-diet/

 

[Oldvatr]

There appears to be posters asking questions about ketones, although I'm testing at the moment by using sticks, I'm confused too. A stick I used before I went to bed showed up quite dark, yet in the morning the stick showed there weren't any ketones.... what's going on?

There appears to be many reasons why ketones don't register on a stick:

"Keto pioneers Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek found that keto dieters blew higher readings early on in the diet when they were still burning ketones in the muscle. As they grew adapted to free fatty acids as a source of fuel and produced ketones primarily for the brain, ketone levels dropped. It was totally normal. If anything, they were more fat- and keto-adapted at lower ketone readings."​

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-am-i-getting-low-ketone-readings-on-a-ketogenic-diet/

I would offer to suggest that overnight the stick dried out. Ketones are fairly volatile (acetone etc) so will tend to do a moonlight flit. Also the drying out of the stick may affect the way colours reflect the light as any watercolourist can vouch for,

Finally, the urine is not the best place to have ketones, since this indicates overproduction and excess being excreted as useless waste. So, keeping the levels low is actually showing a better diet. Wee stix are designed to show warning levels that could be dangerous so are not sensitive enough to be used for dietary evaluation. The better measurement is to be made by using a bgl meter with ketone strips to actually show the numeric value present in the blood, where it is to be used.

 

[JenniferM55]

I would offer to suggest that overnight the stick dried out. Ketones are fairly volatile (acetone etc) so will tend to do a moonlight flit. Also the drying out of the stick may affect the way colours reflect the light as any watercolourist can vouch for,

Finally, the urine is not the best place to have ketones, since this indicates overproduction and excess being excreted as useless waste. So, keeping the levels low is actually showing a better diet. Wee stix are designed to show warning levels that could be dangerous so are not sensitive enough to be used for dietary evaluation. The better measurement is to be made by using a bgl meter with ketone strips to actually show the numeric value present in the blood, where it is to be used.

They were two new sticks from a canister, results were after a couple of seconds.

Yes, I agree with your sentiment, measuring ketones appears to be a useless exercise, but in the early stages it's reassuring to know the process is working. Just got to be mindful that it's not an exact science.

The chemistry that's dancing in our bodies is just mind blowing.

 

[ianf0ster]

They were two new sticks from a canister, results were after a couple of seconds.

Yes, I agree with your sentiment, measuring ketones appears to be a useless exercise, but in the early stages it's reassuring to know the process is working. Just got to be mindful that it's not an exact science.

The chemistry that's dancing in our bodies is just mind blowing.

Hi, When I first started LCHF I thought I may go into ketosis and so I bought some wee stick to test this. Despite getting fat adapted, putting my T2D into remission, going from a BMI of 26 to one of 22 etc. I never got a +ve test for ketones.

Fortunately this didn't get me depressed since my goal was purely on reversing the T2D, so my bog standard BG meter testing before and after meals gave me all the encouragement I needed.