Does Coconut Give You A False Sense Of Ketosis?
 

Hey folks,

I've been trying to be ketogenic, and have been measuring urine ketones with ketostix (ketone testing strips), just to make sure that I'm not underestimating my carb intake, or that there isn't some source of hidden carbs in my food that I'm not aware of.

Now, I've recently discovered the wonders of coconut cream and creamed coconut. However, I've just read that coconut fats can produce ketones independently of low-carbing. Will these register on the strips and give me false positives?

What you're measuring is ketones in the urine. Ketones are ketones. As a proxy measure of free fatty acid levels I guess you could call that a sort of false positive, since it takes a lower serum free fatty acid level to support a given level of ketosis if some of those fatty acids are medium chain.

I guess it depends on what you're getting out of it. If you're hoping to better fuel your brain, a ketone is a ketone. Also mct's can get into brain mitochondria and there be subject to beta-oxidation, this is very limited with long chain fats, so mct's might provide more fuel for the brain at a lower level of ketosis.

I'm also wondering for how long after a coconut meal can you expect those particular ketones to be circulating in the body.

Im curious as to the answer too.

When I searched for timing to empty the stomache after a meal, it was HOURS. Like 4 or more. The number was disappointing, and I have dont any further searches since all those months ago.

What is beta-oxidation?

Fatty acids are mostly chains of hydrogen and carbon, like the above. Beta oxidation is the process of producing Acetyl-CoA, the two carbon molecule that's used to produce ATP through the citric acid cycle. Medium and short chain triglycerides are easier to get into mitochondria for the simple reason that they're smaller, bigger molecules require more active transport systems.