A good blood Ketone Level is 0.5 – 3 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).
A ketone level is too high when the Ketone level is 1.6 to 3.0 mmol/L.
If the ketone level is higher than 3.0 mmol/L then it's considered very high.
Normal ketone level is less than 0.6 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).
The Ketones in your body are fatty acids which are released from the liver and go into your bloodstream and are used as fuel to drive the body's metabolism and to support muscle function.
The body typically needs ketones when insulin levels are low.
Ketones in the body are basically byproducts of the breakdown of fatty acids.
Ketone bodies are water-soluble molecules that contain the ketone groups produced from fatty acids by the liver.
The Ketones are readily transported into tissues outside the liver, where they are converted into acetyl-CoA —which then enters the citric acid cycle and is oxidized for energy.
The breakdown of fat for fuel and the creation of ketones is a normal process for everyone.
In a person without diabetes, insulin, glucagon, and other hormones prevent ketone levels in the blood from getting too high.
Why are ketones dangerous?
Ketones upset the chemical balance of your blood and, if left untreated, can poison the body.
Your body cannot tolerate large amounts of ketones and will try to get rid of them through the urine.
Eventually they build up in the blood.
Ketones can show up in blood or urine.
High ketone levels may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a complication of diabetes that can lead to a coma or even death.
A ketones in blood test can prompt you to get treatment before a medical emergency occurs.
Ketones in the urine are usually the result of a glucose deficiency and may lead to DKA. DKA is a condition in which ketones build up in the body and turn the blood acidic.
While having low or moderate amounts of ketones may result in weight loss, high levels can be dangerous or even fatal.