hi I'm a type 2 diabetic and I'm on the Atkins diet which means I will be in ketosis burning fat is this dangerous? I have read different things and am now confused. I usually take metformin 1 tab 3 times a day which since I've been on the diet I've stopped. Any help would be appreciated thanks.
Are ketones dangerous
- Thread starter Stehuggey
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Some useful advice to be found in peoples' replies in my current thread - http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...ment-with-my-endoncrinogist-confusion.109539/
Robbity
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Don't confuse "dietary ketosis" which is quite safe and natural and "diabetic ketoacidosis" which is very dangerous, and can occur when someone (usually a type 1) has both very high glucose levels and very low insulin levels; their body then starts breaking down fat and produces ketones, but in a completely uncontrolled runaway manner, which results in a dangerous build up of acids in their blood which may actually be fatal.
There is actually a lot of confusion even amongst medical professionals about the two conditions.
If you are eating a very low carb diet you'll probably end up in ketosis but you'll have (or should have) both low ketone levels, and low glucose levels too so shouldn't ever have a problem - it's an absolutely normal condition and young breast fed babies are naturally in a state of ketosis. But you obviously need to be fairly sensible about things, and make sure that you're eating adequate fat n place of the previous high carbs, for your energy. It's certainly not a case of the higher ketone levels the better!
This graph will show you the big difference between the two conditions - people in dietary ketosis should be safely at the lower green end and no-one should want to be in the red!
Robbity
There is actually a lot of confusion even amongst medical professionals about the two conditions.
If you are eating a very low carb diet you'll probably end up in ketosis but you'll have (or should have) both low ketone levels, and low glucose levels too so shouldn't ever have a problem - it's an absolutely normal condition and young breast fed babies are naturally in a state of ketosis. But you obviously need to be fairly sensible about things, and make sure that you're eating adequate fat n place of the previous high carbs, for your energy. It's certainly not a case of the higher ketone levels the better!
This graph will show you the big difference between the two conditions - people in dietary ketosis should be safely at the lower green end and no-one should want to be in the red!
Robbity
bulkbiker
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Far from being dangerous it is very beneficial to both weight loss and blood sugar control.
AtkinsMo
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I bought myself a blood ketone meter from eBay. The strips are more expensive than blood glucose, so I just test once a week at fairly random times and my ketones average at 2.3, which I am quite content with, following the Atkins diet and on no medication. I only lose weight slowly now (average 3lbs a year). I have lost 50lb already. I would still be classed as overweight by BMI but everybody tells me I look quite trim (definitely lost weight from all the right places) and not had BG above 6.1 for ages (after meals). And I have never felt better, welcome to the 'club' - you can do this, it's easy peasy!
I've been doing some research on this very subject myself recently and have found 2KetoDudes (blog and Facebook) to be a valuable resource.
Ive not bothered testing my ketones yet but this week have been consuming well under 20 net carbs per day and despite getting flu like symptoms 4 days in I'm now feeling great and not craving carbs in the slightest.
My 7 day average BG reading has gone down from 7.3 to 6.2 already, it would have been much lower save from a couple of spikes of 8.8 during my 'flu symptoms'.
I'm also noticing slight but significant body changes already in that my hands/fingers are slimmer, feet aren't as swollen and I no longer get pitted edema on the front of my legs.
Ive not bothered testing my ketones yet but this week have been consuming well under 20 net carbs per day and despite getting flu like symptoms 4 days in I'm now feeling great and not craving carbs in the slightest.
My 7 day average BG reading has gone down from 7.3 to 6.2 already, it would have been much lower save from a couple of spikes of 8.8 during my 'flu symptoms'.
I'm also noticing slight but significant body changes already in that my hands/fingers are slimmer, feet aren't as swollen and I no longer get pitted edema on the front of my legs.
bulkbiker
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I also really like the 2ketodudes stuff. Find the facebook page very helpful as well as amusing..
Yes I am but Ive stopped taking metformin as i thought it wouldn't be needed in low carb
bulkbiker
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I did too as it didn't agree with me..you should find your blood sugars become much better doing Atkins / LCHF just watch the protein intake as sometimes that can cause blood sugar to rise a bit. Lots of fats to keep you full. I also do a bit of fasting which I have found helps to kick start weight loss after a stall and also gives me the best blood sugar levels.
