I am a bit confused about Ketones. Having recently started a low carb diet, I have read that ketones are a good thing when you are trying to lose weight, being a sign that your body is burning fat rather than sugar. But I just read in a new diabetes information booklet that ketones can make you very sick. Are they talking about ketoacidosis as compared to simply having ketones in your urine? And if you have ketones but not high blood sugar, is that OK?

If your bloodsugar levels are near normal and you are not spilling glucose in your urine (a sign that your bloodsugar level is very high), then ketones in your urine are not harmful. You can buy urine test strips at the drug store that test for both ketones and glucose if you are concerned.

Ketosis is not the same thing as ketoacidosis, but many people confuse the two. Ketoacidosis is associated with uncontrolled high bloodsugar levels and very high ketone levels resulting in very low blood pH levels (acidic). Ketosis on the other hand is associated with normal or low bloodsugar levels often experienced on low carbohydrate diets and/or starvation.

Ketones are a byproduct of fat metabolism. Ketones are used by the brain, heart, and other muscles as a fuel source when glucose levels drop.

Ketogenic diets (very low carbohydrate and high fat) are used by many university hospitals (Johns Hopkins in particular) in the treatment of pediatric epileptics. They don't yet understand exactly how or why it works, but it does in many cases and it doesn't have the potential negative side effects of many drugs. This method of treatment has been used for many years and studies have shown no adverse consequences as the result of being on a ketogenic diet for many years.

Alan

Wow, you have a wealth of information! Thanks a bunch!

Just a caution, Mama...if you are diabetic, you need to test your blood glucose levels frequently if you're on a low-carb diet that's producing ketones. Arkie is right that ketones will not hurt you IF your blood glucose is at a reasonable level. However, if you blood glucose should go up, and you've already got ketones in your system, then you could go into ketoacidosis quite rapidly.

If you're a type II diabetic, and controlling your diabetes through a low carb diet, you may never have to worry about ketoacidosis. In fact, many type II's never go into ketoacidosis even if their blood sugars are quite high.

The guidelines are usually as follows: If your blood glucose is 240 or greater AND you have ketones, call your doctor immediately.