When fat is broken down for energy, the body makes substances called ketones (or ketone bodies). These are passed in the urine. Large amounts of ketones in the urine may mean a very serious condition, diabetic ketoacidosis, is present. A diet low in sugars and starches (carbohydrates), starvation, or severe vomiting may also cause ketones to be in the urine. Ketone urine test strips are most commonly used by those following a keto diet. They can be a useful method of testing whether your body has entered into a state of ketosis. However, they are not a good long term indication of ketosis because, over time, your body adapts to using ketones as fuel, and also becomes more optimized in producing them which means fewer are left unused. If you are following a keto diet, then we do recommend these strips for the first few weeks. After that, it would be more accurate to use a blood ketone meter. As a side note, we do not recommend the use of ketone breath meters as most models are generally highly inaccurate. A few decent models exist, but they are very expensive.
Specifications:
- 100 strips per container
- Detects ketone levels from 0 mmol/L to 16mmol/L
- Includes colour chart for comparison of results
Directions for use:
- Dip the test strip into your urine sample for no more than 2 seconds.
- Remove the test strip and draw it along the edge of the sample container to remove any excess urine (make sure not to allow the reagent pad to touch the container edge).
- Turn the strip on its side and gently tap off any remaining urine. Then lay it flat.
- Wait 60 seconds and then compare the reagent pad colour with the colour chart on the side of the glucose container bottle.
More detailed instructions can be found here.