Ketones - Fireplace or Inferno?

Nutritional ketosis is a by-product of being low carb.  It's a very good thing... your body is working very efficiently by converting fat to make it's own energy since cheap energy isn't provided by carbs.

There are two very different scenarios regarding ketones... nutritional ketosis (your body converting fat to fuel) and Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA).  They both involve ketones, but are otherwise very different.  For DKA occur, you have to have high blood sugar, be dehydrated, and have VERY high ketones (usually 10mm+).  It's a formula.... with normal BG and good hydration, DKA shouldn't occur (some say it's impossible to happen; others say "rare".)

I like to use a fire analogy.  Both a fireplace and an inferno contain fire.  A fireplace is very good - safe, useful and beneficial.  A building inferno is also fire, but has additional negative factors (extreme heat, oxygen, time, etc) that cause it to be out of control and unsafe.  Comparing them to say they are the same thing and both are unsafe just because they both are fire would be wrong and just plain silly.  The same is true of ketones.

Here is a chart that shows ketone ranges.  Most people on a low carb diet will fall within the green ranges... nutritional ketosis.  But may even slip into the yellow on occasion (which may be an indicator of not enough protein, but that's another post).

Ketosis is a wonderful thing for people of all ages.  It's our body's working as they were designed to!