Keto Strips: Do They Work For Weight Loss?

Ketone strips are used to measure ketosis, a natural metabolic state that your body enters when following a very low-carb diet or during starvation. Ketosis is a common goal for people on the keto diet, a low-carb, high-fat and moderate-protein diet.

There are two types of keto strips: urine and blood. Urine strips are small strips that are used to measure the level of ketones in your urine. They have colour codes that indicate the level of ketones present. Blood strips, on the other hand, are a more accurate and reliable way to measure ketones in the body.

Urine strips are a good tool to measure ketosis during the first few weeks of starting a keto diet. However, as the body adapts to using ketones for fuel, urine strips may indicate lower levels of ketones, even if you are still in ketosis. Blood strips are a more accurate option for long-term keto dieters but are more expensive and require pricking your finger.

Keto strips can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies and supermarkets, as well as online. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to use, making them a popular choice for those wanting to monitor their ketone levels.

How to use keto strips

There are two types of keto strips: urine and blood. Urine strips are ideal if you’re new to the keto diet and want an easy and affordable way to ensure you’re headed towards ketosis. Blood strips are more accurate but also more expensive.

Urine Strips

• Wash your hands, then take a urine sample in a small, clean container.
• Dip the absorptive/test end of the strip into the sample for a few seconds, then remove.
• Shake off any excess liquid.
• Wait for the amount of time outlined on the package for the strip to change colour.
• Compare the colour of the strip with the colour chart on the packaging.
• Dispose of the urine and strip in an appropriate manner before washing your hands.

Blood Strips

• Load the lancet with the needle, following the directions provided.
• Insert a blood ketone strip into the ketone meter.
• Prick your finger to draw a small drop of blood using the lancet.
• Let the strip come in contact with the drop of blood and check the results.
• Dispose of the strip and lancet as suggested in the directions.

General Tips

• The darker the colour, the higher your ketone levels.
• The strips typically expire within three to six months after opening, so keep in mind how often you intend to use them.
• If you want to check your urine ketones day-to-day, stick with a specific time, like in the morning or several hours after your last meal of the day, for best comparison.
• Do not expose the strips to sunlight or moisture.
• Do not touch the testing area with your hands.
• Check the expiry date before testing.

Accuracy of keto strips

Keto strips are a popular tool for people following a ketogenic diet to check whether they are in ketosis. However, they are not always 100% accurate, and the readings may fluctuate for a number of reasons.

Keto strips, also known as 'ketone sticks', work by urinalysis to determine the volume of acetoacetate in the urine. Acetoacetate is one of the two main ketone bodies, and it is present in urine. The strips have colour codes that indicate the level of ketones in the urine. The darker the colour, the higher the ketone levels.

Accuracy

Although keto strips are a reasonably accurate and cheap way to detect someone's (approximate) state of ketosis, they are not always as accurate as most people believe. Here are some circumstances in which an inaccurate reading could be possible:

• Ketones in urine don't give a true indication of what's happening in the body. Any ketones that go unused by the body are excreted via urine. Therefore, just because the level of ketones in urine is small doesn't mean that the levels in the blood are also small, nor does it mean that the body is not in ketosis.
• Over or under hydration may affect ketone levels. If someone is drinking large amounts of water, it may dilute the urine to the extent that it affects the reading. On the other hand, if someone is dehydrated, then higher concentrations of ketones may be present. However, hydration doesn't seem to greatly impact the reading. The strips are designed for the average person consuming typical amounts of water.
• It takes time to adapt to burning fat for fuel. When someone first starts a ketogenic diet, the body won't be using ketones efficiently, so it's likely there will be a higher concentration of waste ketones in the urine in the initial stages. Over time, as the body adapts to burning fat for fuel, it should become more adept at burning ketones for energy, and the volume of ketones excreted will fall. Consequently, ketone readings may go down at this time.

Alternatives to Keto Strips

There are three main ways of measuring ketones in the body: blood meters (beta-hydroxybutyrate), breath analysers (acetone), and urine strips (acetoacetate). Blood meters are more accurate than urine strips, but this extra accuracy comes at a higher price. Breath analysers are also more accurate than urine strips, and although the initial purchase of the equipment is more expensive than keto strips, it's a one-time purchase.

Benefits of keto strip testing

Keto strips are a convenient and affordable way to test your ketone levels. They are especially useful for people on the keto diet who want to check if they are in ketosis. Here are some benefits of keto strip testing:

Easy and Affordable

Keto strips are a cheap and convenient way to test your ketone levels. They are easy to use and can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies and supermarkets, as well as online. The strips are also relatively inexpensive, and you can get anywhere from 50 to several hundred strips in a kit.

Quick Results

Urine testing with keto strips is a quick and simple process that provides results in seconds. This makes it a great option for people who want to test their ketone levels regularly without having to spend a lot of time or money.

Monitor Ketone Levels

Keto strips allow you to monitor your ketone levels and adjust your diet accordingly. This is especially useful for people on the keto diet who are trying to reach and maintain a state of ketosis. By testing their ketone levels, people can get an idea of how their body is responding to the diet and make adjustments as needed.

Helpful for People with Diabetes

Keto strips can also be beneficial for people with diabetes, as they can be used to detect high levels of ketones in the urine, which may indicate a dangerous condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. This is a serious complication that can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.

Accountability

For those just starting the keto diet, keto strips can help hold you accountable and make a connection between your food choices, ketone levels, and how you're feeling. This can be a powerful tool for staying on track and making any necessary adjustments to your diet.

When to use keto strips

Keto strips are used to measure the level of ketones in your body, which indicates whether your body is in a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a natural metabolic state that your body enters when following a very low-carb diet or during starvation. It is a condition where your liver produces ketone bodies or 'ketones' in higher quantities, leading to elevated levels in various body fluids.

• Starting a Keto Diet: If you are new to the keto diet, keto strips can be a useful tool to ensure you are on the right track. The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet, and achieving ketosis is a common goal for people on this diet. Keto strips can help you monitor your progress and adjust your diet accordingly.
• Tracking Progress: If you want to track your ketone levels over time, keto strips can be used periodically to measure your ketone levels. This can be especially useful if you are trying to maintain a specific level of ketosis or want to see the impact of your diet on your body.
• Cheating on Your Diet: If you are following a ketogenic diet and have a cheat day or take a break from your diet, you may want to use keto strips to see how it impacts your ketone levels. This can help you understand the effect of certain foods on your body and make informed decisions about your diet.
• Monitoring Health Conditions: Keto strips can be beneficial for people with health conditions such as diabetes or alcoholic ketoacidosis. For example, people with type 1 diabetes may need to test their ketone levels regularly to monitor their blood sugar and prevent complications like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
• Experiencing Symptoms: If you start experiencing symptoms of high ketones or DKA, such as fruity-smelling breath, dry mouth, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain, it may be a good time to use keto strips. Testing your ketone levels can help you understand if these symptoms are related to high ketone levels and take appropriate action.
• Before Exercise: If you plan to exercise and your blood sugar level is over a certain threshold (as advised by your doctor), it may be a good idea to test your ketone levels. This is especially important for people with diabetes to ensure their blood sugar and ketone levels are safe for physical activity.
• Missed Insulin Injection: If you have diabetes and missed an insulin injection, testing your ketone levels can help you monitor your body's response and take corrective actions if needed.
• Inconclusive Breath Test: Breath tests are also used to detect ketones, but they are not always reliable. If you have taken a breath test and are unsure about the results, using keto strips can provide additional information about your ketone levels.
• Maintaining Healthy Ketone Levels: For people who want to keep their ketone levels within a safe range, regular testing can help them understand their body's response to their diet and make any necessary adjustments.
• Tracking Progress Over Time: If you are curious about how your ketone levels change over an extended period, you can use keto strips periodically to track your progress. This can be helpful if you are making long-term dietary changes or monitoring a health condition.

Comparison with blood tests

Keto strips are a good tool to measure whether you’re in ketosis, but blood tests are considered the gold standard for testing ketone levels. Here is a comparison between the two methods:

Accuracy

Keto urine strips are a good tool to measure whether you’re in ketosis during the first few weeks of starting a keto diet. However, as you get deeper into ketosis, your body adapts to using ketones for fuel and becomes more optimized in producing them, leaving less unused. This means that if you’ve been in a keto-adapted state for many months, a keto strip may indicate that your urine contains only trace amounts of ketones, if any. This can mislead people into thinking they’re no longer in ketosis, which may not be the case.

On the other hand, blood tests are considered the most accurate way to measure ketone levels. Blood tests measure beta-hydroxybutyrate, the most prevalent and stable ketone body in the blood, and the main ketone that your body utilizes in ketosis. The number that registers on your blood meter when you test reflects the ketone level in your body at that moment.

Cost

Urine strips are relatively inexpensive and can contain from 50 to several hundred strips. Blood strips, on the other hand, cost on average $1 per strip.

Convenience

Urine strips are a cheap and convenient way of finding out whether you’re in ketosis. They are widely available in drug stores and supermarkets, and easy to use. Blood tests, however, require a meter to read the blood strips, as well as a lancet to prick your finger and draw blood.

Frequency

It is recommended to test urine ketones at a specific time of day, like in the morning or several hours after your last meal, for the best comparison. Blood tests can be done as often as you decide to test.

Other considerations

Urine strips are good as a low-cost option when first starting a keto diet and for their primary medical safety purpose: to monitor urine ketones for diabetics in order to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis. However, they are not as accurate for measuring nutritional ketosis as other methods.

Blood tests are the most accurate and reliable way to test ketone levels, but they are more invasive and expensive. If you are testing ketones frequently, the cost of blood tests may add up quickly.

Frequently asked questions