https://www.diabetesdaily.com/blog/2014/11/dka-nutritional-ketosis-are-not-... “Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), is a very dangerous state where an individual with uncontrolled diabetes is effectively starving due to lack of insulin. Insulin brings glucose into our cells and without it the body switches to ketones. Our brain can function off either glucose or fat and ketones. Ketones are a breakdown of fat and amino acids that can travel through the blood to various tissues to be utilized for fuel.”
“In normal individuals, or those with well controlled diabetes, insulin acts to cancel the feedback loop and slow and stop the overproduction of ketones. Without this feedback loop, dangerous levels of ketones build up, acidifying the body. This would register on a Ketone Meter at levels of 20 mmol/l. The levels can build up to a state that is highly toxic. If someone is in this state, they are usually accompanied with excessive thirst and urination, hyperglycemia, pain, nausea, and deep, labored, gasping breathing. These individuals need to get to the emergency room and get medical treatment right away!”
Nutritional Ketosis: “Nutritional Ketosis, on the other hand, is a state where the body is using ketones as a fuel source efficiently and safely. In individuals without diabetes or in those with controlled diabetes, having insulin on board to maintain healthy blood sugar levels keeps ketone production in the safe range. This is achieved by reducing carbohydrate-intake to below 50 grams, because when glucose from food is limited, but blood sugars are still in a healthy range and enough insulin is present, the body will begin to burn body fat for fuel instead, producing low levels of ketones in the bloodstream.”
“For instance, using my ketone meter, my ketones were always in the 1-3 mmol/l range, which is not acidifying the body. (Again, an individual with DKA would have ketones over 20 mmol/l.) I find when I am in ketosis for extended periods of time, I stay very lean because my body is burning more fat for fuel rather than just glucose, and I have long sustained energy levels. I find my brain is much sharper when I’m in ketosis. As long as blood sugars are maintained in the normal safe range with insulin, someone with diabetes can very safely be in Nutrional Ketosis. Due to very stable blood sugars, this may even be the best state to be in for diabetes management.”
When you’ve been in Nutritional Ketosis and not even known it:
when you skip breakfast and don’t eat until lunch or later, your body is burning body fat for fuel and likely producing low-levels of ketones
when babies are born, they are often in a state of nutritional ketones for the first few days or week of life because they are consuming very little breastmilk until the mother’s breast milk production ramps up
when you eat a low-carb meal (eggs and bacon) for breakfast and don’t eat again until late lunch or afternoon…or…when you eat a low-carb breakfast followed by a low-carb lunch, your body is producing a low level of ketones until you eat a more significant serving of carbohydrates at dinner, etc.