Steph_Maks wrote: »

I just got one of these cheaper ("Greenwon") breath meters from Amazon, and I was wondering how the numbers correlate to ketone values? Like if you get an 0.5 on the breath meter, does that indicate your blood ketone level is actually 0.5 (or close to it)?

Or is it as Gale says, mostly just a go/no-go, where any number higher than "0" is good enough?

I have ordered that one as well but it has not come but I did get a replacement for the model I got in 2014 for about $15 that had more or less died.

ebay.com/itm/Advanced-Police-Digital-Breath-Alcohol-Tester-Breathalyzer-Analyzer-Detector/361848567715

It works very well. It has three different readouts but I use the .0XX display like used in the states for alcohol. As others have stated it has to be one of these cheap ones in price to measure the ketones lost by breath. The range has been from .O20 to .064 but most most often in the .020 to .040 range.

I took the .064 read out to .000 by eating a lot of fresh grapes, an apple and a banana. The next morning it was like .051 I think. I did not dig out my blood ketone meter to compare as I did a lot back in 2014 when I learned there was not a 1:1 ratio because they are measuring two different fractions of ketones but I did not have to wash my hands after using it like with the keto sticks.

In 2014 the venture capital types were not involved with Ketonix and the guy that developed it had a lot of info about it on the web at the time. I figured out he must have been using the same sensor used in the $10-$15 ebay models but for some reason leaving off the digital readout meter and setting it us to make different color lights.

After I figured that out I never bought a Ketonix from him because they were nearly $100 back then. The fire issues with batteries in general seems to have stopped the availability in the USA today. Charging them using USB sounds like a pain when with the above meter two AA batteries last a long time and there is nothing to hook up.

I thought the Ketonix was really cool but it seems to be another invention looking for a problem to solve that already has a dirty cheap solution on the market at has even better features in my view. While I use it daily due to it being ready to go in 15 seconds I really like it when I go out to eat or have a potluck meal just to see if I got into a ton of carbs for a future reference when I get back home.

While I see it as a go-no go gauge it does give some relative digital info on the level of general ketosis.

I got the Nurse Hatty Test Strips and the Greenwon meter today. After reading the instructions tried them both to see. The strips were"moderate"4.0 but the meter measured 0.0. I tried it 5 times like the booklet said. All 0.0.

Funny, today I just blew a 0.02 on the meter and the strip was the same moderate 4.0.

My morning breath and first urine stream in the morning each have one or two different distinct odors, depending on the day. It's like vanilla-scented gasoline or nail polish remover, LOL

So I can tell without sticks, etc., that I'm in ketosis. I used the sticks twelve ears ago on Atkins, and they were not reliable at all. Money down the drain, IMHO

This AM before I ate I blew a 0.090 and my blood ketone level was 0.07 and glucose came in at 99. Remember the calories that you lose out of your lungs were never part of your CO of CICO estimation. After watch part 1 and 2 of Dr. Phinney's last conference down under I am shooting for blood levels of 0.05 to 1. When I go over a 2 I do not feel as well.

This $15 breath analyzer gives me all I need track the results of my carb eating.

After nothing more to eat and five hours of sleep I blew 0.090 with blood ketones up to 1.0 (a recent high level) and blood glucose down to 75 which is my lowest reading I have seen in years. I expect the Berberine supplement and others that are to support the glucose metabolism are actually helping plus the NMR lipid panel stated IR had gone bye bye finally. I will do this again for a few days to see if fasting glucose and ketone inversion continues.

This data shows breath ketones can decrease while blood ketones increase making the breath measurement more of an only go-no go gauge for sure. That is all I expect of it so I know I am in some measureable state of nutritional ketosis without bleeding for it.

@Steph_Maks that may be the case and is why in 2014 I went ahead and got the Precision Xtra blood ketone/glucose meter.

Just now I blew 0.071 a couple hours after a LCHF breakfast. Blood ketones now read .08 and glucose now reads 105. The 0.02 decrease in breath ketones did reflex the .02 drop in blood ketone level this time.

While my cheap breath meter seems to be as accurate as the expensive Ketonix breath meter and much easier/safer to use (as in no USB port recharging required) based on my research I like it because the readout is at least objective data vs. subjective data like with the keto sticks and color of lights but without a keto blood meter our ketosis level is just a wild guess in my personal experience.

Knowing the blood level a few times a year works for me unless I am wanting to post some objective data on the subject or have something going on where I am trying to fix a health issue by burning mainly ketones vs glucose.

Now that I have my ketone levels up I am seeing some small weight loss taking place which I expect is mainly due to my decreased desire for as many nuts and coconut oil usage in my coffee.

Steph_Maks wrote: »

Thanks @GaleHawkins! I've looked for the blood ketone meters here in Canada and the only options I've found so far, are extortionately expensive imports. Like $80 - $100 just for the meter, then the strips are also very expensive, and that's not even factoring in the shipping, duties, and taxes.

WOW I see your point. I think I gave $25 off ebay and find short dated strips for about $2 each on ebay. That is why I use the breath meter that I do plus the blood thing.

At 8 am I ran my numbers again after 8 hours of sleep and basically fasting since 5 pm yesterday and had a hard day physically and mentally yesterday rebuilding the bush hog.

I blew 0.08 on waking and after the testing below to check to see if the reading repeated. Ketone level was .9 and BG was 98.

As you can see I experienced an increase in breath ketone but a drop of .3 in blood ketones and sugar levels were basically unchanged after nothing to eat and 8 hours of sleep.

I think the last time I took 500 MG of Berberine was 5 PM yesterday before testing this morning.

Note: From my reading highest blood ketones is often after a hard workout . The hard manual labor of yesterday I expect is what lead in part to mine 1.2 reading last night.