Can you smell ketones? How about dead ants? Blue cheese?

breath
#1

Apparently the ability to smell squashed ants may not be universal among people.

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The ability to smell breath acetone, a breathed out ketone that indicates a metabolic state of ketosis with excess ketones, is often discussed in ketogenic diet forums. People worry about having keto-breath. But it is only a minority of people that can genetically smell breath ketones. Many seem to be vegan bloggers. Having the ability to smell breath ketones was a diagnostic edge for 19th century physicians and dairy farmers. The other quirk about acetone on the breath is that it will raed on an alcohol breathalyser test (take care being in nutritional ketosis during the annual festive season drink driving road safety blitz).

When I smell squashed ants, I try not to squash any ants if possible, they smell like blue cheese to me.

I like the smell of blue cheese. But I can’t seem to smell breath ketones. Although nail polish remover does not smell pleasant to me.

I just discovered the chemical odour is from 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one. 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one is a methyl ketone.

I wonder if eating blue cheese would affect a breath ketone reading?

(Vic) #2

Good morning Frank.

I can not smel breath ketones.
Took out my ketonix this morning and it reads 7, the bottom end of nutritional ketosis.
But even when it reads 65 I do not have smelly breathe.

No blue cheese in the fridge, sorry

#3

huh interesting.
I know I can smell ketones when my breath was wild back in the day and ‘taste it’ kinda too ya know.

No clue if blue cheese would effect it? hmmm…

I know now I lived with breath ketones for so long they are just part of me and I don’t notice things like that much anymore so I have no clue on all that other stuff LOL

#4

I don’t remember blue cheese would have any unique smell but considering how rare I have it and how super flavorful I find it… I will surely smell it next time!

I never smelled ants.

I never noticed I would have a keto breath and my SO didn’t notice it either.

Hmmm…

(Robin) #5

I am ke-tone deaf.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

Whether people are exhaling acetone or not seems to be highly individual. So, quite apart from your ability to recognise the smell of acetone, the people on whose breath you are trying to smell it may not be exhaling any.

The smell of crushed ants is from the formic (< Lat. formica ‘ant’) acid they contain. Formic acid is the premier ant-acid. (:rofl: Sometimes I just slay me. :rofl:) Six-methyl-5-hepten-2-one has a citrous flavour.

#7

I think a crushed ant releases quite a cocktail of volatile chemicals. I found it interesting that some people can’t smell it. Whereas for those that can smell it have a variety of scents that they detect from lemons through blue cheese and rancid coconut. It was just cool that the main compound was a ketone. Ants are ketogenic.

The other side note is that my mother cannot stand nor abide the taste of coriander leaves. It is used a lot in Thai cooking. I used to love Thai food before going keto. I’m sure there is a keto-Thai food entrepreneur out there.

Here is a media article found after the fact:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/health/2017/12/things-you-thought-were-normal-but-are-actually-genetic-quirks.html

Here is the original science media article that got me thinking on this:

(Alex ) #8

WHAT?!? :joy:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #9

I don’t like it, either. And I always have to remember that coriander and cilantro are the same thing, so I don’t end up eating any. Blech!

(Vic) #10

Blue cheese experiment.

Woke up this morning and waited 1 hour with black coffee.

Test breath acetone with ketonix. Ate 50grams blue cheese and test a few times again.

Before: 5ppm low end of nutritional ketosis
After blue: 4ppm
15min after 2ppm
30min after 0ppm
45min after 3ppm
1h10min after 5ppm back at low nutritional actone level.

(Robin) #11

This is the funniest conversation on here! And it does not involve poop! Double bonus boings!

#12

What is your interpretation and conclusion Vic?

(Vic) #13

The blue cheese did not raise acetone in my breath. It seems ti have no effect.
The small drop indicate a small rise in blood glucose.
Breath acetone and blood glucose usually inversely correlate.

So the conclusion is that blue cheese does not mess with the Ketonix readings.

Alcoholic beverages do throw the Ketonix of the rails for example.