What color should the test strip be for ketosis?

In a world filled with fad diets and quick fixes, it seems that everyone is looking for the secret to unlocking all their health goals. One buzzword we keep hearing lately is “ketosis.” But what does ketosis even mean, and why are people obsessed with this state?

Well folks, buckle up your lab coats because we’re going to dive deep into the science of keto diets and explore one of its most notorious diagnostic tools: the test strip.

Keto Diets: It’s All About Fat

Ketosis refers to a metabolic state where your body has switched from burning carbohydrates for fuel to utilizing fats instead. This process occurs when carbohydrate intake is restricted (usually less than 50g per day) forcing your body to break down stored fat molecules into something called ketones, which then get used as energy.

This shift in metabolism can have some pretty impressive benefits like weight loss[1], increased mental clarity[2], better athletic performance[3], fewer mood swings…you name it! And yes, you guessed it right – there are downsides too such as bad breath🤮 [4]

But how do you know if you’ve achieved that magical ketogenic state?

Enter Ketone Test Strips…

These strips come in a plastic container within reach at any drugstore5. But let us warn you about one thing – these strips will change color depending on how high your ketone levels are—meaning they won’t tell you whether or not you’re in ketosis but rather how much of it’s happening inside ya!

So what color should they turn??

The Fun Part – Let’s Talk Pee

Urinating might seem boring an activity until someone tells us we could be testing the ketone levels from it! Ketostix, which is a brand of urine test strips, are covered with reactive chemicals that change color in response to ketones.

So How Do They Work?

A urinalysis involving Ketostix simply requires dipping one of these oh-so-special stripes right into a stream of your pee (or collecting your urine— depending on the instructions) and then comparing the resulting hue against a handy chart. This way we can determine what level of ‘ketosis’ our bodies are actually hitting.

Oooh but wait there’s more….if you’re anxious about how dark or light they should appear, keep reading!

The Color Spectrum – Different Shades For Different Grades

So you’ve got pee on this strip what’s next? You’ll be greeted by an interesting variety of colors ranging from pale lavender to deep maroon-reds —something akin to molasses. Don’t worry; we won’t judge if you snap some photos for reference 😂 Pinky promise.

Here’s where things get juicy, folks—what do those colors mean??

Take note: The shade could vary depending on which brand/type also natural hydration levels6

Color Interpretation
Beige/No Color Change Not enough ketones detected
Light pink With keto diets, beginners could lie somewhere near this spectrum
Medium/Dark pink Congrats –You’ve finally entered ⚠️ moderate ⚠️ territory
Lavender Ideal level- Congratulations 🙌(Tip: check brands range too!)
Dark Purple/Grape Woops…you’re either obscenely dehydrated💥 or visited Mars🪐 recently as Martians have purple pea soup 🙂

Now let’s break down that table a bit more.

  • Beige/no color change: This is what you want to avoid. It means that your body isn’t producing many ketones (if any). Better luck next time!

  • Light pink: If you’re new to keto diets, it’s likely that your ketone levels will hang out around this level for the first few days or weeks. Don’t worry; stick with it, and your levels will rise soon enough.

  • Medium/Dark Pink: Hallelujah! You’ve finally entered moderate ketosis. This state produces noticeable benefits like steady weight loss and improved energy – all without having to unsheath an apron.

  • Lavender: Ding ding ding 🎉🎊👏 You’ve arrived at the coveted endpoint of optimal health – high-levels of fat burning! The stars are aligned💫

And if anyone asks -Yes, celebs pick up these strips too7 😂

Last Words…

Ketone test strips can boggle one’s mind when they delve too deep in the matter. Hence, understanding possible hues could serve you well on a self-examination at home while on keto(The bruises part still confuses us – Martians seem healthier than we had previously thought!) . But keep in mind there are other ways of monitoring everyday food habbits without being fixated wholly on pee alone♪\(^▽^)/ >>︿<⟵

Hope this guide helped explain everything about colors pertaining [again footnoting main purpose]. So go ahead try them yourself…and tell us how purple was yours 😀


  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23632752 

  2. https://www.livescience.com/keto-diet-brain-effects.html 

  3. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-benefits#section8 

  4. https://www.health.com/weight-loss/keto-breath 

  5. https://amzn.to/2ZxfQck (Amazon url shortened) 

  6. Cheap brands such as ketostix might not exhibit accuracy in range for counting my ketosis levels while more expensive could be better. Hence, make an informed choice instead of blindly following. 

  7. They’re also human like us to try something new ;-) 

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