Ketonix reviews

(KB) #1

So I keep going back and forth about forking over the dough to buy one of these. Anyone out there who can give me the good, the bad, the ugly? I know I could get a blood test meter but those strips seem kinda pricey to use each time. TIA for your feedback!:smiley:

(G. Andrew Duthie) #2

Iā€™m also interested in peopleā€™s experiences, good or bad, and especially in anyone whoā€™s used both blood ketone test strips and Ketonix, in terms of how they compare for accuracy.

All Iā€™ve ever used is Ketostix, and theyā€™re not ideal, to say the least. But at $1 and up per strip, I just donā€™t see myself spending the money on a blood ketone meter.

(angela) #3

I have one that I have used infrequently for about 2 months. I have found it in general hard to use. I followed the instructions to calibrate it and create a profile, which wasnā€™t to bad. That being said, be prepared to wait ā€¦ a lot! it takes forever to initialize, calibrate and reset after a reading. The reading itself gives me a general idea of how Iā€™m doing but I still much prefer the accuracy of the blood ketone readings. Also and a biggie for me ā€¦ I feel like I am gong to smother every time I have to breath into the thing for up to 30 freaking seconds!

(G. Andrew Duthie) #4

I was a voice major in college, and sang throughout high school as well, so that part, at least, wouldnā€™t be a problem for me. :slight_smile:

(KB) #5

I was afraid that there may be some difficulty with usageā€¦perhaps I should get a blood meter and fork over $$ for test strips!

(Mark) #6

For what itā€™s worth there is an article on time.com called,You asked-should I try a ketogenic diet and in the article Dr Eric Westman says there is no evidence one level of ketones is better than another,so Iā€™m going to just wait on the testing and stick with how I feel,and i feel much better than before keto,I know itā€™s only one doctors opinion,but you can go read it and decide for yourself.

(Vesa McD) #7

I have had a ketonix that I used actively. It was an older model that wasnā€™t supposed to be taken apart or cleaned. Because of this I accidentally broke it, sadly, when trying to clean it.

It was fully my mistake and the newer models have addressed these issues and fixed them. Their customer service at ketonix is also great because when I contacted them they promised to replace it with a new model for the normal upgrade price if I send in the old one. Cool! I never did send it for replacement though, but I might still in the future.

So for a beginner it is good to learn what is working and what isnā€™t, in the sense of what foods you can and canā€™t (should and shouldnā€™t) eat. A beginner who isnā€™t as fat adapted will produce more ketones, so the numbers will be higher. When fat adapted we produce/waste less ketones, which is a good thing since our bodies are designed to survive. There is no point for the body to produce and waste ketones away when they are needed for energy.

However, When a person has been fat adapted for a longer period of time, the ketone number is not as important. Itā€™s still great to know that you are producing ketones for energy but they are produced more as you need them. I think @Richard has also said in a podcast or two how his levels are lower on average now than when he started.

They also stay in the system as a type of buffer. So if you would eat carbohydrates right now, the ketones do not dissappear immediately, they are used as needed while they are there, so there will be a delay until they lower. Some people are confused about this as they ā€œdrop out of ketosisā€ later than they thought, and donā€™t really understand the mechanism. Dropping out to ketosis is insignificant since it just shows you have a lower level of ketones circulating, and not whether or not you are generally fat adapted.

Since I donā€™t have a functional ketonix anymore, I canā€™t say my ketone numbers, but I know that the ketones (acetone) that is breathed into a ketonix can ALSO be detected by some cheap alcohol breathalyzers. If you just need to know whether you have acetone in your breath, this may be a very affordable way to go. Itā€™s not as accurate, however, and I wouldnā€™t recommend buying one for this purpose; but if you happen to have one, it might be a fun ā€œtestā€.

I do however, also train freediving. This is breath-hold diving I mostly train in a pool for fun when I can find the time.

Many freedive coaches recommend a normal diet high in carbohydrates since less oxygen is required to burn glucose than fat. Whether this has been researched/tested in ketogenic fat-adapted humans, or whether or not this differentiates using internal or exteranl sources of fat, Iā€™m not sure. But they do recommend to not eat at least 6 hours before a longer/deeper dive. In theory, this oxygen can then be used to fuel the body and brain. However, since the brain can run on higher levels of ketones efficiently, and the heart is also more efficient (I think the percentage was 28% or so) running on ketones might be more efficient for freediving.

As this comment on freediving most likely will not apply to you, I still mention it because sometimes raising your actual ketonic level for athletics might make sense. Also I have understood that there are some cancer protocols that need to know accurate levels of ketones to attain certain ratios. If you fall into these categories, certainly get a ketonix. It takes a bit of learning to get how to use it, but in a way it is hastle free when compared to other choices, and long-term is an affordable choice if you consider this a WOE (way of eating) or a WOL (way of living/life). The long term lower costs will outweigh the initial cost.

I am not a doctor, nurse, nutritionist, health practitioner, or anyone who should actually be giving advice on these topics. I just like to read and these are just my own personal opinions. Do your own research. Hope this helps.

PS. I hope I got the science right here. Please let me know if anything here is wrong. This was just intended as a product review of the ketonix that got a bit out of hand.

(đą«ÆĪ±ąø— Źą«ÆąŖ½Ę¬Ń³ąø—) #8

I have the new one.

TBH Iā€™m not sure they compare that well as they essentially measure two different things.

That said I concur, it takes a while to initialise, you have to rinse your mouth beforehand and without the computer attached it gives you a blue, green, yellow or red indication with a number of flashes indicating where you are in relation to the colour zone; I.e more flashes means higher up the scale.

Nutritional ketosis Iā€™ve read is around 4-30 on the ketonix device scale.

Mine usually blows a high green / yellow zone (see below).

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Itā€™s ok. Iā€™m not completely sold. But itā€™s a decent indication of ketone production.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #9

Thanks for the feedback. Iā€™ve actually been eating LCHF/Keto for a long time, on and off, and have been a lot more disciplined about it over the last year.

This is consistent with what Iā€™ve read. Iā€™m pretty sure your instructor was wrong about glucose requiring less oxygen, and that fat is actually better if you want to be efficient in using oxygen during exertion. Given that an increasing number of endurance athletes are going keto (and winning), thereā€™s also some anecdotal evidence to back that up.

(Corey) #10

It only needs the last quarter of your expiratory breath. So donā€™t do a full breath out into it otherwise you will pass out! Takes awhile to get used to but once you do its good.

(Pamela Draper) #11

So I received mine on Valentineā€™s Day but didnā€™t have time to hook it all up until Friday. I did The Who,e user profile and calibrationā€¦ was getting around 7 using the USB connections, but I canā€™t get any reading using the battery. Any suggestions? No color change or blinks.

(Matej Mejak) #12

Where did you find the ketonix device scale of the different levels od ketosis and not being in ketosis? Because I got ketonix yesterday but I donā€™t find a scale of anywhere what does any PPM rate mean.

(đą«ÆĪ±ąø— Źą«ÆąŖ½Ę¬Ń³ąø—) #13

It doesnā€™t correlate to Blood Ketone levels.

They measure 2 different things.

The ranges are settings from the manufacturer

Hope that helps.

(Matej Mejak) #14

I know thatā€¦ Iā€™m not asking you about the blood ketones Iā€™m asking you about breathe acetone PPMā€¦ Because you said that youā€™ve read that nutritional ketosisis is around 4-30 on the ketonix device scale. I would like to find that ketonix scaleā€¦ as I have Ketonix and I donā€™t know what excatly mean a certain level of breathe acetone PPM on my ketonix. :slight_smile:

(Vicki Apokis) #15

The Ketonix is useful. But to get any sense from it you have to do the following:

  • Read the manual

  • read the ā€œHow Toā€™sā€ section on the website, under the Support tab

  • under the Tutorials tab on the website watch the ā€œfirst time use (setup)ā€ and ā€œtake a measureā€

I know it means nearly 20 minutes of your time, but each of the imparts a different bit of knowledge which completes the whole.

Finally how you breathe into the Ketonix is critical. Once I mastered this step I achieved consistent measurements which reflected my state of ketosis.

My tip for getting the breathing technique spot on - breath regularly, and at some point just as you are about to inhale, continue to exhale and put the Ketonix in your mouth. It requires concentration and goes against your instincts, but it works. It is more important to get the last 15 seconds of breath from your lungs than it is to get 30 seconds of breath. The duration is not important, but the last bit of breath from your lungs is what is required.

So to answer your original question - I have found the Ketonix useful. Yes it is pricey, but I have no regrets in purchasing the unit. It gives you good feedback once you develop a good technique in obtaining your measurements.

(Aaron R) #16

Iā€™m looking at these, why do you need so many mouth pieces?

(J Marti) #17

I received my Ketonix 2017 USB two days ago. I love it. I have been following the keto diet for 4 weeks with just a week now being keto adjusted. I know this because I am able to fast without feeling hungry and my headaches have stopped. This weekend I finally had time to install the software on my computer and log my tests. I calibrated this morning and took a reading. I just took another reading this afternoon and my ketones were double from this morning. I love the meter that shows in a full color pie chart and the feedback is great for looking at my progress. I also used my ketone strips after my ketonix reading and they are showing Moderate (8Mm). I have 50 lbs to loose and I can see that what I am doing is making progress. I have struggled with weight issues for a long time and believe I am insulin resistant as I have had major sugar cravings and was unable to go without food without getting headaches. I am a Computer Developer so I understand that this software isnā€™t top notch. But, what do you expect for the first one like this available to the general public at a decent price? The product works. I think it is very cool. I need feedback and I feel I can now loose all of this unhealthy weight. You may need to multi-task when the thing warms up. Be patient.

(Vicki Apokis) #18

For multiple people to use. So each person can have their own mouthpiece for hygiene reasons.

(Sammy M) #19

Hi J_Marti

Is this the new one currently for saleā€¦ Does it work well even now, thanks, Sam

(Ernest) #20

Just get the meter. Itā€™s not like you will be testing every day.