Finally figured out conversion from breath to blood ketone results

(Deb) #1

For anyone interested, I got my new KetoHC M3 breath tester and just couldn’t jive with the different set of readings (acetone instead of BHB). And not finding much in the way of quick, easy and accurate conversion info, I finally found the info I needed and thought I’d share. Anyone correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems accurate to me:

Acetone (breath) 1 mmol/dL = 5.8 mg/dL
BHB (blood) 1 mmol/dL =10.4 mg/dL
10.4/5.8 = 1.79

Ex: breath (acetone) result .7 x 1.79 = 1.25 mmol
Ex: BHB(Blood) 1.7 ÷ 1.79 = .9 (breath)

(Deb) #2

Got my decimals wrong…and should have used inverse multiplication…shouldn’t do this stuff so early in the morning!
Breath result ex: .05 x 18= .9

Acetone = bhb
.02 = .36
.03 = .54
.04 = .72
.05 = .9
.06 = 1.0
.07 = 1.25
Etc…

#3

I’ve been tracking my numbers for months, and can’t really find a direct correlation, especially now that I’m pretty well fat adapted, 7 months in. My blood ketones are not as high, overall, as they were when I first started, and neither are my breathalyzer readings. Actually, my breathalyzer readings have always been on the lower side-- I’ve never had a reading over 0.06, and rarely set off the “you shouldn’t drive” alarm. But I definitely have “keto breath” and have steadily lost weight, so as long as I register SOMEthing, I don’t worry about it. Same with blood ketones. I’ve never been over 3.0, even while fasting.

Crazy how different we all are!

#4

Problem with breath/blood correlation is it’s very person specific, and even then as you change all that goes out the window. When I had my ketonix I found a couple charts people made and they more or less fit me pretty good, until I hit the point where my ketones went down and stayed down, breath stayed the same. Out went the link. Ketonix is long sold and my meter hasn’t had strips in a long time, just not worth it. After reading some research though I MAY purchase a new breathe meter to test some things, I think breathe measurement is going to become the standard over blood as they tweak it.

(Deb) #5

Interesting that you say you think breath is going to be the future. Any particular reason why? Blood readings seem gold standard to me, and why I had to find some kind of conversion.

#6

Mainly because our breathe acetone levels are directly connected to the level of ketones we’re actually burning. Think about it, when we’re metabolically tested, with all the markers they could go for it’s always the C02 test because that’s a direct measure of our metabolic burn. Not our caloric intake, not blood sugar or any other of the bazillions of things they COULD test but the test the thing that shows how our metabolism is actually running. Testing blood is a great way to show our ketone levels…BUT what does that actually mean? Years ago we (kinda without any reason) correlated higher ketones with “better” and higher fat burn, but we now know that there’s people averaging 1.0 burning fat off faster than people averaging 2.5, so that’s out. Most of us accept that most likely as we adapted the supply/demand thing gets better so we make less, and that COULD be true, but in either case with that being the way it seems to be, what’s the point in constantly testing? But with breathe higher acetone levels show a direct link to BURNING more, and unless your levels are artificially being played with, with something like exogenous ketones, scary amounts of MCTs or something it’s a real look into how your metabolism is running.

(Gina) #7

Thank you for posting! I’ve been hunting everywhere for this info. I just modified from keto to carnivore and had a reading on the KetoHC M3 breath meter of .55 today! Kinda freaked me out. I think I need to eat more. Didn’t have much yesterday because it fills me up so quickly. Back down to .10 now.

Gina

(Richard) #8

I’m using a cheapo blood alcohol breath analyzer. I have yet to figure out exactly what the numbers mean as they are supposed to measure blood alcohol and not acetone. Does anyone here no any correlations between the numbers on this device and blood acetone? I am just assuming that if it reads me as “drunk” that I’m in ketosis.