What Will Affect The Breath Ketone Meter Accuracy?

What Is The Breath Ketone Meter? How Does It Work?

Ketosis is a state where your body uses fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates. This can be achieved by following a low-carb diet or fasting.

Breath ketone meters use some form of technology to measure the amount of acetone present in your breath to indicate your level of ketosis. Acetone is one of three kinds of ketones produced when fatty acids are broken down for energy (the others are acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate).

There are many types of common breath ketone meters, and they are generally classified according to the type of sensor they are equipped with. Common ones are semiconductor sensors and Mems sensors.

As a high-precision testing instrument, its sensor type is also a very important factor. Simply put, the sensor has a great influence on the breath ketone meter accuracy.

What Is Breath Ketone Meter Accuracy?

Your body naturally produces small amounts of acetone but it increases when your blood sugar levels are low or when you consume a high-fat diet.

And you need some equipment to determine the ketogenic level of the body. Common detection methods are urine, blood, and breath. Compared with other detection methods, the breath ketone meter has relatively good performance: convenient and accurate. Authoritative experts have proved that the breath ketone meter can achieve high accuracy: up to 96%.

This means you can trust the test results it gives you. For many people who use it for ketogenic weight loss, its convenience and accuracy make it a better choice to replace other detection methods!

How To Know The Ketogenic Level Of Your Body With A Breath Ketone Meter?

So how do you check your body's ketogenic levels? Its use steps are very simple, but you need to understand its readings and the representative meanings of its readings. Different testing instruments have different display methods, but their testing methods are roughly the same.

Simple steps to use the Breath Ketone Meter:

• Step 1: Open your mouth wide and breathe normally into the mouthpiece for 2 to 4 seconds.
• Step 2: Place the end of the device on your tongue until it makes contact with your saliva.
• Step 3: Wait for 30 seconds while breathing normally through your mouth.
• Step 4: Look at the display screen to see your breath ketone level.

Take SZEEK's KT005 Breath Ketone Meter as an example, it is a MEMS sensor detection instrument. Its detection range is 0.0-99PPM. PPM means parts per million, which is a unit of measurement used to determine the concentration of an element or compound in a solution. The higher the PPM reading, the higher the concentration! The lower it is, the lower.

l 0~1.9 ppm: no ketone

If the results on the screen show that your breath acetone concentration (ppm) is 0-1.9, this means you are not in ketosis or pre-ketosis.

l 2.0~3.9 ppm: Slight ketosis

If the reading shows 2.0-3.9 ppm, you are now in the early stages of ketosis. If the reading is between 4.0 and 9.9, it means that your body fat-burning rate is very slow.

l 10~39 ppm: the best state

Congratulations, your ketosis is at its best! This is the steady fat-burning zone, the process by which fat is used by the body as its primary source of energy.

l 40~59 ppm: Please pay attention to your physical condition!

If your ketogenic level reaches 40~59, or even above 60, it means your ketosis level is too high! This has the potential to create ketoacidosis, so try to get it below 40.

What Factors Will Affect Breath Ketone Meter Accuracy?

Breath ketone meters are a great tool for monitoring ketosis. They can help you understand how well your diet is working, and they can give you an idea of how much longer you need to stay in ketosis before it's time to use your breath ketone meter again.

As mentioned earlier, the breath ketone meter accuracy will be affected by its sensor type. Also, there are a few other factors that can affect your test results. Here's an attempt to explain it in detail for you: 

1. Sensor Type:

The sensor type of your breath ketone meter is one of the most important factors that can affect its accuracy. The main reason behind this is that each sensor has its own way of working, and they all have different levels of accuracy too.

For example, SZEEK's MEMS sensor is a very suitable sensor for detecting the concentration of breath ketone. It works by measuring the changes in the capacitance of an electric field. This sensor is very accurate and can detect the concentration of breath ketone at low levels (0.5-5.0 mmol/L).

2. Your Breath Condition:

Your oral air condition is also a very important factor affecting the breath ketone meter accuracy. If you use mouthwash or chewing gum before the test it may change the reading!

3. Food Intake:

Your food intake also affects the breath ketone meter accuracy. You should avoid any food or drink that contains carbohydrates for at least 2 hours before your test.

4. Your Metabolism Rate:

Your metabolism rate is another important factor affecting the breath ketone meter accuracy. If you are a person with a slow metabolism, it may take longer for your body to burn fat and produce ketones.

5. The Time When You Test:

When is the best time to test? The best time to test is in the morning, just after waking up. This is when your body produces the most ketones and it’s easier to get an accurate reading.

Final Words:

The testing instrument is a tool to help you better understand your physical condition, so breath ketone meter accuracy is very important. You can try to maintain a regular inspection habit, which can help you get more useful data. I wish you success!