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Ketoacidosis

A Dangerous Condition Unrelated to Nutritional Ketosis

Ketoacidosis is a life-threatening emergency that occurs almost exclusively in people with type 1 diabetes when very high blood sugar combines with dangerously high ketone levels (above 10 mmol/L). It happens when there's not enough insulin—the body can't use glucose for fuel, so it breaks down fat desperately, producing toxic amounts of ketones that make the blood acidic. This is completely different from safe nutritional ketosis (0.5-3.0 mmol/L) from a keto diet. Important: Even on a keto diet, people with type 1 diabetes must take enough insulin to keep blood sugar in normal range. Note that SGLT2 inhibitor medications can increase ketoacidosis risk. If you have type 1 diabetes, monitor both blood sugar and ketones, especially when sick.

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