Low blood ketone levels

(Onkar) #1

I started keto diet about two months ago.
Initially my readings used to be on an average 2 to 2.3 mmol/l.
Recently, I have noticed that the levels are around 0.2- 1 mmol/l.

Am I doing something wrong?

Note: I feel energetic and great.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #2

Blood measurement or pee sticks?

(Onkar) #3

Blood measurements.

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #4

When you get fat adapted your body uses more of the ketones you produce and your blood levels go down. But 0.2 is a little low. Maybe you are taking in some hidden carbs. Post what you are eating.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #5

Not at all. You are probably fat-adapted at this point, and your liver is now matching ketogenesis to demand. Up to this point, it has been making ketone bodies to feed the muscles as well as the brain, etc., and it seems to “over-produce” during this stage as a hedge against need. But now your muscles are burning fat molecules completely, instead of having to use ketones (which are partially-burned fats, in essence), so the liver’s rate of ketone output can safely drop to some degree. With the muscles now out of the picture, the liver’s primary customers for ketones are the brain and intestines, I believe, so it can afford to relax a bit and better match production to need.

The level of 0.5 mmol/dL as the definition of nutritional ketosis is somewhat arbitrary, as even Dr. Phinney admits. He is on record as saying that’s the level at which most of the benefits of nutritional ketosis usually become visible, but he is also on record as stating that some of the fat-adapted athletes he and Prof. Volek studied were in ketosis, even though they were only showing blood ketones at 0.2 mmol/dL, or so.

As long as you are feeling well and experiencing the benefits of nutritional ketosis, not to worry. If that stops being true, then we can dig more deeply into what’s going on.

(Onkar) #6

Thank you so much for the detailed reply.

One thing I have noticed that I just do not have sugar cravings as before starting Keto.
Overall, feel good.