Ketones

[scottinnh]

I have been thinking about ketones lately. I have been on this WOE for 30 days with great results in my BG. However if I was going to think about this as a permanent way of eating I wanted to research for myself what the controversy over ketones consists of. I found the following infomation on the Joslin Diabetes site..

http://www.joslin.harvard.edu/education/library/wketon.shtml

What are ketones?
Ketones are produced when the body burns fat for energy or fuel. Ketones are produced when you lose weight or there is not enough insulin to help your body use sugar for energy . Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in the blood. Since the body is unable to use glucose for energy, it breaks down fat instead. When this occurs, ketones form in the blood and spill into the urine. These ketones can make you very sick

I thought OH OH, this is what I have been warned about, But then I read on:

If ketones are positive, what does this mean?
There are situations where you might have ketones without the blood glucose being too high. Positive ketones are not a problem when blood glucose levels are within range and you are trying to lose weight.

It is a problem if blood glucose levels are high and left untreated. Untreated high blood glucose with positive ketones can lead to a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

:p Bingo! And this from an established well recognized and respected source! My BG levels are not great but OK...if they weren't and I was producing ketones...I would probably do something else...

But this is the first time I remember seeing anything saying that not having enough insulin also produces ketones. :confused: I had believed that type 2's had sufficient supply..just were resistant..probably the same thing...

..So for any diabetic producing ketones and your numbers are high..I would suggest doing your own research.....

[Lisa N]

Scott...

what the authors here are trying to explain is the difference between dietary ketosis and diabetic ketoacidosis. The former is harmless and the latter can only occur in the presence of a high uncontrolled blood glucose. Ketones are present with both conditions but the cause and outcome of each are very different.
Type 2 diabetics CAN wind up in ketoacidosis if they don't control their blood sugars. While type 2's do still produce some insulin of their own, how much they produce is highly variable which is why some type 2 diabetics will sometimes also need insulin to control their blood sugars (I was headed that way myself until I began low carbing).
Bottom line is that if your blood sugars are controlled and you test positive for ketones, it's not cause for concern. However, if your blood sugars are high and you test positive for ketones, it's time to contact the doctor ASAP.

[kjturner]

And by high BG levels, it means a consistent high of over 300 to 500 mg/dl. The key word being *consistent*. It does not mean the odd spike to 300 every now and then when you just *had* to have that 'forbidden' food.