How to translate ketone strips to ketone "number"?

J

JayAmerican

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I figured I should also test my ketone levels as I stay on a low carb diet. Didn't want to get a newer blood tester just yet, though I know that is more accurate, and got the strips you basically pee on.

The number range it gives are in mg/DL:

0 negative
5 trace
15 small
40 moderate
80 large
160 large

I Google'd how to translate this to mmol/L and said to multiply by 0.01129. OK, but even the top range of the test strip of 160 calculates out to 1.8064 which is a very small beginning scope of what keto testing recommendations provide info about. Example:

https://keto-mojo.com/article/testing-what-should-ketone-levels-be/

Keto-Mojo-Ketone-Zones-Chart.jpg

So I don't understand how I would be able to check for any thing above 1.8. There is plenty of info on ketones and ketosis online, plenty of "how to use a test strip" articles (as if nobody can figure out how to pee on a strip) but no explanation of how to test the higher ranges. Am I misinformed? Is this why testing blood is better?
 
bulkbiker

bulkbiker

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The problem with pee strips is after a while when you get to be fully fat adapted your body can stop "wasting" ketones in your urine. So you may well find yourself showing up as not being in ketosis when in fact you are (assuming that is your aim).
That's why most recommend a blood ketone meter.
 
J

JayAmerican

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OK well based on the info from Auto E, I'm at about 1.51 as I fell right between the 15 and 40 color (so I ballparked it at 27.5). I'll get a blood meter for ketone checking a bit into the future, though it's not so much a concern of mine other than an added confirmation that I'm maintaining the right diet to not let glucose take over my system.
 
Mr_Pot

Mr_Pot

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A

Auto E

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Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
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JayAmerican said:
OK well based on the info from Auto E, I'm at about 1.51 as I fell right between the 15 and 40 color (so I ballparked it at 27.5). I'll get a blood meter for ketone checking a bit into the future, though it's not so much a concern of mine other than an added confirmation that I'm maintaining the right diet to not let glucose take over my system.
Click to expand...
Jay - my conversion was wrong. Please see the link Mr. Potts included! My apologies!
 
A

Auto E

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Messages
132
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
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Diet only
JayAmerican said:
OK well based on the info from Auto E, I'm at about 1.51 as I fell right between the 15 and 40 color (so I ballparked it at 27.5). I'll get a blood meter for ketone checking a bit into the future, though it's not so much a concern of mine other than an added confirmation that I'm maintaining the right diet to not let glucose take over my system.
Click to expand...
Jay - so sorry but my data was all really wrong. Please see the link Mr. Pot gave below.
 
J

JayAmerican

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Mr_Pot said:
A mole of a substance varies with the molecular weight, so mmol/L for glucose will not be the same as mmol/L for ketones.
Try this calculator instead:
http://www.scymed.com/en/smnxtb/tbcbgpr1.htm
Click to expand...

Thank you I was able to calculate my ketones at about 4.65 mmol/L but that was a urine strip. I'll keep using those until I get a chance to get a ketone blood tester. Anyway this is the range I need t be in to confirm my diet is doing the right thing, getting my body to use ketones for energy rather than soley from glucose. The ketone level seems to have helped reduce the glucose dumping for dawn phenomenon and I've gone from a morning fasting of 180-200 mg/DL to around 130. I am also now regularly testing at the 110s throughout the day, sometimes lower.
 
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