Is ketosis bad? To understand whether ketosis is bad, we first need to know exactly what it is. When you’re in ketosis, your body starts breaking down fat and converting it into ketones. While this process can be life-saving in certain situations, such as if you’re starving or on a low-carb diet, it can also cause negative side effects like bad breath and fatigue when you’re not going through it for health reasons.

What is ketosis?

Ketosis is when your body doesn’t have enough carbs for energy, so it burns fat instead. When you follow a ketogenic diet, your body enters ketosis (i.e., starts using fat for energy). Many diets are high in carbs, which means that many people's bodies burn carbs for energy all day long. But by following a ketogenic diet—which restricts carbs to very low levels—you can teach your body to burn fat for fuel as well as or instead of carbohydrates. You can become fat-adapted or keto-adapted—meaning that you no longer need to eat high-carb foods and can maintain normal blood sugar levels even if you have more than enough energy from stored fat.

Why do people get into ketosis naturally?

People get into ketosis when their bodies start producing ketones. The two main types of ketones that our bodies produce are acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Acetoacetate, also known as acetone, is a ketone that exits the body through urine and perspiration. BHB can be used by every single cell in your body and it’s considered clean fuel because it contains no sulfur or other impurities. When people talk about going into ketosis, they’re referring to producing and using BHB instead of glucose as an energy source.

When Should I Avoid Ketosis?

Unless you’re already keto-adapted, transitioning into ketosis can take anywhere from a few days to a week or two. You might experience symptoms like fatigue, headaches, lightheadedness, or nausea as your body adjusts. If you’re experiencing any of these side effects, make sure to drink plenty of water and keep your sodium intake up. Exogenous ketones can also help lessen symptoms of keto flu. How do I know if I'm in Ketosis?: If you want to be certain that you’re in nutritional ketosis (i.e., blood ketones are >1mM), you can use a blood meter or urine strips and an at-home kit that measures ketones.

How Do I Know If I'm In Ketosis or Not

If you’re following a ketogenic diet, it’s easy to know if you’re in ketosis or not. Either you are, or you aren’t. So, if you don’t want to spend money on expensive urine strips—just test your blood ketone levels using our Keto Mojo Blood Ketone and Glucose Testing Meter and see if they drop after consuming MCT oil (more on that later). If they do, congrats! You might be in ketosis. If not—don't worry about it and move on with your life. Maybe try one of these 10 tasty low-carb snacks instead.

What Does Being In Ketosis Feel Like?

Many people think that being in ketosis is a bad thing, but it’s pretty awesome. It doesn’t mean that you’re burning your fat—ketones are also used to make antibiotics. Simply put, it means your body has been trained to run on fat and ketones for fuel instead of carbohydrates and glucose. Being in ketosis simply means your body is well-adapted to using fats for energy instead of carbs.

Why Do Some People Want To Get Into A State Of Ketosis?

A ketogenic diet, which severely restricts carbohydrate intake while encouraging high-fat consumption, causes your body to start burning fat instead of glucose. When blood sugar levels become low enough, your body enters ketosis. A state in which fat-burning dominates (1). Why would you want to do that? If you’re already healthy and want to try a very low-carb diet for a short time—say three weeks or so—to accelerate weight loss, go for it. It’s only unhealthy if it is disordered eating and doesn’t allow for regular periods of eating meals with carbohydrates, otherwise known as cheat days.

What Are The Benefits Of Entering Into A State Of Ketoacidosis Or Ketogenesis/Ketosis?

Increased fat-burning. Once your body has run out of glucose to burn, it is forced to use your body fat stores as a primary source of energy. Because ketones are derived from fat, burning ketones releases more energy per unit of oxygen than carbohydrates do. This leads to increased stamina during activities and exercise performance. Increased alertness. Unlike some other sources of fuel that leave you feeling groggy and unfocused (such as carbohydrates), entering into a state of ketosis can help keep you more alert throughout the day. Due to increased blood flow to brain cells, your mental capacity becomes stronger when in a state of ketosis, making it easier for you to concentrate on whatever it is that you’re doing at any given time.