Vivoo’s ketone box gives insights into the presence of ketones in the urine. Normally, no ketones are expected in the urine. However, if you are following a ketogenic diet, this box can help you to track your ketosis state.
Ketones
Ketones are a type of chemical produced by the liver. The human body needs a certain amount of sugar (or glucose) for the energy necessary to carry out its essential functions. When the body can’t get the glucose it needs, it starts burning fats instead. And it’s this process (i.e., the oxidation of fats) that ketones, essentially a type of acid, are produced.
Ketone production results from the body adapting to starvation in healthy individuals. As ketones are regulated by insulin, glucagon, and other hormones, the blood sugar level never gets too high. However, in insulin-dependent people (e.g., those with diabetes), high blood ketone levels may be a result of not taking enough insulin, which can cause diabetic ketoacidosis.
For those who’re not on a ketogenic diet, high urinary ketone levels may result from:
- Uncontrolled blood sugar levels
- Skipping meals
- Not eating enough
- Fever
- Sepsis
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Pregnancy
- Prolonged hunger
- Eating disorders
- Fasting
- Long-term exercises
Here are the reference ranges that Vivoo uses for those not following a ketogenic diet:
- Label: Great Value: 0 mg/dL
- Label: Moderate Value: 5-15 mg/dL
- Label: Weak Label: 15-150 mg/dL
Ways to Reduce Ketone Levels
Sometimes, simple measures such as drinking plenty of water, making dietary changes, preventing prolonged hunger, or taking a break from exercise can help reduce urinary ketone levels – back within normal ranges.
Ketogenic Diet
Urine ketone tests are crucial for those following the ketogenic diet; these tests offer a way for them to monitor the effectiveness of their diet. The ketogenic diet (also called a low-carb diet) limits an individual’s consumption of both carbohydrates and proteins. Thus, a large part of the diet is made up of fats. The diet’s ultimate goal is to force the body to burn fats (instead of glucose for sugar) – achieving the “ketosis state”.
Individuals on a ketogenic diet should monitor their ketone levels to tell if the diet is indeed working (and whether their body is in the ketosis state). Ideally, you should measure your ketone levels at the same time every day; this ensures that the readings you take aren’t affected by the events of the day. In addition, measuring your urinary ketone levels before consuming anything can be more beneficial for observing results.
That said, it’s worth noting that determining whether your diet needs adjusting to reach and maintain ketosis could be a challenging process. That’s because ketones won’t be found in the urine anymore once the body adapts to ketosis. So instead of “leaking” ketones, your body will start “leaking” uric acid instead.
Still, your uric acid levels will return to normal over time. This is a key sign of keto-adaptation. In other words: it means that your body has adapted to, adjusted, and accepted the ketogenic diet.
Here are the reference ranges that Vivoo use for ketosis:
- Label: Negative Value: 0 mg/dL
- Label: Optimal Value: 5-50 mg/dL
- Label: High Value: 50-150 mg/dL
The best times to check your urinary ketone levels are in the early morning or the late evening after dinner. Vivoo’s urine test strips offer you a straightforward and fuss-free method of determining whether you’re achieving the optimal ketosis state during the first few weeks on a ketogenic diet. During this initial period, your body still can’t use ketones efficiently for energy. That’s why your body excretes them (through the urine). But as you get deeper into ketosis, your body adapts to using them for fuel; it becomes more efficient at producing and using them. This leaves fewer ketones to be excreted through the urine. As a result, if you’ve been in a keto-adapted state for many months, your urine may not contain significant concentrations of ketones, resulting in a “negative” reading (even though you’re indeed in the ketosis state).
4 Responses
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Hi Jacquie, thank you for your interest in Vivoo. If you’re following the ketogenic diet, our ketone parameter has this scoring system:
Optimal (Score 10): You can earn this score when you have a moderate amount of ketones in your urine, meaning you’re hitting the sweet spot for ketosis. If you are newly started on the ketogenic diet, this also should be the primary goal.
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