Image credit: Total Shape
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the ketogenic diet as a means of improving health and wellness. This high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet has been shown to have a variety of benefits, including weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and better cognitive function.
One way to gauge the effectiveness of a ketogenic diet is to measure blood ketone and glucose levels and calculate the Glucose Ketone Index (GKI). The GKI is a ratio of blood glucose levels to blood ketone levels, and it provides a more accurate picture of the metabolic state than either measure alone.
Here are some of the benefits of measuring your blood ketones and glucose levels to get the GKI:
Provides insight into the state of your metabolism
Helps you stay on track with your diet
Helps you monitor the effects of exercise
Provides motivation to stay on the diet
Helps you identify potential health issues
Measuring your blood ketones and glucose levels can give you an accurate picture of your metabolic state, which is an indicator of how well your body is functioning. High levels of blood ketones and low levels of blood glucose indicate that your body is in a state of ketosis, which is the goal of a ketogenic diet.
Helps you stay on track with your dietMeasuring your blood ketones and glucose levels can help you stay on track with your diet and make adjustments as needed. For example, if your GKI is not where you want it to be, you can adjust your diet to increase fat intake or decrease carbohydrate intake.
Helps you monitor the effects of exercise
Exercise can affect blood ketone and glucose levels, and monitoring these levels can help you determine the optimal time to exercise and the type of exercise most beneficial for your body.
Provides motivation to stay on the diet
Seeing the results of your efforts can be motivating, and measuring your blood ketones and glucose levels can provide that motivation. As your GKI improves over time, you may be more likely to stick with the diet and continue seeing the benefits.
Helps you identify potential health issues
Measuring your blood ketones and glucose levels can also help you identify potential health issues. For example, high blood glucose levels can indicate insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
In essence, measuring your blood ketones and glucose levels to calculate the GKI can provide a wealth of information about your metabolic state and help you stay on track with your ketogenic diet. It can also help you identify potential health issues and provide motivation to continue with the diet. If you are interested in the ketogenic diet, consider investing in a blood ketone and glucose testing kit to measure your levels and calculate your GKI.
The glucose ketone index (GKI) provides a snapshot of the relationship between your glucose and ketone levels. It helps you determine how “deep” your level of ketosis is. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body turns to ketones from fat as its primary fuel source, rather than carbs.
There are varying degrees of ketosis, and two key factors that affect your level of ketosis are fasting and carb intake .
The GKI is one number that helps you determine your degree of ketosis. It’s simply an expression of the ratio between your glucose and ketone levels.
The GKI formula is:
(Glucose in mg/dL ÷ 18) ÷ Ketones in mmol/L = GKI
If your glucose reading is already in mmol/L (which is likely, if you’re not in the U.S.), here’s your GKI formula:
Glucose in mmol/L ÷ Ketones in mmol/L = GKI
Several factors may affect your glucose and ketone levels, which therefore may also affect your GKI:
With all of these different factors that can affect GKI, it’s a good idea to check your GKI under similar conditions each time.
Ready to calculate your glucose ketone index level? You will need a testing device capable of testing both glucose and ketones, along with alcohol wipes, lancets, and glucose and ketone testing strips.
Ideally, 2–3 hours after eating is the best time to check your glucose-ketone index. Testing too soon after eating, or waiting too long after eating to test, may both affect your results.
Here are the steps:
Check out this link to work out your GKI
This table, adapted from KetoMojo, can help you interpret your GKI results:
|
GKI |
Interpretation |
Best for |
|
9.0 or greater |
Not in ketosis |
N/A — this level indicates that you’re not following a keto diet or only recently started |
|
6.0–9.0 |
Mild ketosis |
Weight loss and optimal health |
|
3.0–6.0 |
Moderate ketosis |
Metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity |
|
1.0–3.0 |
Therapeutic ketosis |
Dietary management/treatment of cancer, neurological diseases, and chronic inflammatory diseases |
|
1.0 or less |
Highest degree of therapeutic ketosis |
N/A — this level is generally only attainable under strict, medically supervised ketogenic diets |
I hope you found this information from both Perfect Keto and Keto Mojo interesting but check out a few of my personal favourites below when it comes to GKI
The Peter Attia Drive: This podcast covers a range of topics related to health and wellness, and Dr. Peter Attia has discussed the GKI in several episodes. In particular, he has explored how the GKI can be used to track the effectiveness of different diets and lifestyle interventions.
The Diet Doctor: on YouTube: This channel focuses on low-carb and ketogenic diets, and Dr. Bret Scher has discussed the GKI in several episodes. He has talked about how the GKI can be used to monitor blood sugar and ketone levels, and how it can be a useful tool for people on a ketogenic diet.
The FoundMyFitness Podcast: This podcast, hosted by Dr. Rhonda Patrick, covers a wide range of topics related to health and longevity. Dr. Patrick has discussed the GKI in several episodes, including how it can be used to monitor metabolic health and how it can be influenced by different dietary and lifestyle factors.
The Quantified Body: This podcast focuses on using self-tracking and biohacking to optimize health and performance. Hosted by Damien Blenkinsopp, the podcast has featured several episodes on the GKI, including how it can be used to track the effects of different diets and lifestyle interventions.
These are just a few examples, and there are many other podcasts and channels that discuss the GKI and its applications in health and wellness.
Happy Testing!!
* It's important to talk to your healthcare provider before starting keto or fasting. Your healthcare provider can help you determine the best way to incorporate electrolytes into your diet to ensure optimal health and well-being.
