[Skip to Content]
kids

What Are Ketones?

Ketones

Say: KEE-tones

Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source. But when the body can't use glucose for energy, it uses fat instead. When fat is broken down, chemicals called ketones are made. They get into a person's blood and pee. High levels of ketones cause the blood to become more acidic, called ketoacidosis. This can happen when someone doesn't eat enough food to provide glucose for energy, or it can happen in diabetes, when the body can't use glucose normally.