Ketones

Weight loss

Ketogenic diets have become widely used to achieve weight loss. The ideal range for levels of ketones in the blood (ketosis) to promote weight loss is considered to be 0.5-3 mmol/L. Nutritional ketosis generally doesn’t usually cause any symptoms and is safe for most people.

Current methods for measuring blood ketones include hand-held meters, which require a finger prick and a test strip. Alternatively, urine test strips and breath tests are available, but both of these are less accurate, albeit more convenient to use. Weekly testing is usually sufficient for most people on a ketogenic diet, ideally after a fasting period, or 3 hours after eating a meal. It has been recommended that when starting a keto diet blood ketone levels should be tested daily for a few days to ensure that nutritional ketosis is achieved, and then once a week whilst on the diet to ensure maintenance of ketosis. However, more regular checking of ketone levels may provide motivation to continue with the diet. Alternatively, more frequent testing provides information on the response to certain foods or a change in carb intake.

There is a concern however that ketoacidosis (a potentially life-threatening complication caused by much higher levels of ketones in the blood) may develop in non-diabetic individuals due to extreme starvation. High levels of ketones > 8 mmol/L are often accompanied by increased thirst, dizziness, diarrhoea and frequent urination. In these circumstances measuring blood ketone levels regularly can provide an early warning that a diet with excessively low-calorie intake should be amended.

A non-invasive blood ketone measurement device provides an ideal solution to the need for regular measurements in support of a keto diet. Highly accurate, pain free and regular cost-effective measurements are the key to properly managed weight loss on this type of diet.