A strong smell of ammonia

[Missy]

in my urine? Is that normal for a protein rich diet? I read up that urea is produced during protein metabolism. Will this go away? Is this something to be concerned about?

[Mitra]

It could be caused by ketosis as your body switches over to burning fat instead of carbs for fuel. They are sometimes detectable on your breath, too. If that's what it is, then the smell will go away as you adapt, but in the meantime, you can dilute the effect by drinking more water, or burn more of the ketones by doing some exercise if the smell bothers you.

[Missy]

Information I found in Dr. Rosedale book about this subject: (page 22 - 23)

"Ketosis is often confused with ketoacidosis, which occurs in severe uncontrolled diabetes when virtually no insulin is produced and ketones are allowed to build up to extraordingary high levels, which can be dangerous. This is not to say that I think a high protein diet is good: it's bad for other reasons. Protein is acidic and is broken down into two potentially toxic waste products: urea and ammonia. You don't want to overload your body with these nasty by-products of protein metabolism. Futhermore, the more protein you eat, the more proficient you become at making glucose from the protein in your diet, and from the protein in your muscle and bone. As I tell my diabetic patients, this is something that you don't want to be good at! Remember, you need to eat enough protein to replace and repair body parts, but not so much that you must burn off the excess as sugar, thus disrupting your metabolism. On the other hand, a high fat diet is best as long as you eat primarily good fats, and don't eat sugar-forming foods with it.

[mcsblues]

First of all ketones or keto breath is a sweet acetone smell, not a sour ammonia smell and is a byproduct of fat metabolism, not protein.

Second, I don't know what Rosedale has been smoking since he stopped working with the Eades, but this 'too much protein = too much glucose' is complete nonsense and has been shown to be so in tests on both 'normal' and diabetic patients.

[Gabriel Guzman]

First of all ketones or keto breath is a sweet acetone smell, not a sour ammonia smell and is a byproduct of fat metabolism, not protein.

Second, I don't know what Rosedale has been smoking since he stopped working with the Eades, but this 'too much protein = too much glucose' is complete nonsense and has been shown to be so in tests on both 'normal' and diabetic patients.

I beg to disagree a little with part of your reply, though I agree that Rosedale is off the mark about protein-glucose issue. On a side note, I was very surprised to see that the book he produced talks so much about leptin when he always talked about insulin. In fact, the Eades mentioned in one of their books that he was writing one that was focused on a more purist diet, which in my opinion would have been a hit! Instead, he came up with something completely different in main theme, though not necessarily new to me.

Now, the keto-breath is sometimes very 'alcohol-like' and sometiemes people diabetic people (which also tend to have a strong keto-breath) have been confused with drunk people and have been kept waiting or ordered to 'sleep it off'.

There is no nitrogen involved in fat metabolism and the amonia smell does come from protein breakdown. It's not uncommon that some people sense that when they engage in vigorous exercise that involves muscle workout or people with conditions in which there is excessive muscle protein waste.

[Missy]

Thank you Gabe for your explanation...I'm doing alot of muscle workout these days, and I'm sure then that's what's the cause then. I just don't want it to be a warning signal that I'm ignoring about something I'm doing wrong.

I do notice both the ammonia and the keto-breath :rolleyes: But...I don't show ketones on the stripes?

Is this a sign that I'm doing something good for myself?

[Gabriel Guzman]

When ketones don't show on the stripes, is because they're very diluted and the amount is under the detection limit of the product or because they're really not there. In either case, there is nothing wrong with it. Not detecting ketones means that they're being used. Detecting them means not only that they're being used but also that there is an excess that's being excreted. Detecting them or not is just not a sign, nor correlates with weight loss.

I wouldn't put much stock on measuring ketones.

[Missy]

I bought these stripes when I tried Atkins...lol briefly. :rolleyes: I'm only using them, just for curiousity sake and to use them up:rolleyes: ...they also measure glucose too? But, nothing changes in that color either. I'll take your advise and not get too concerned with no changes then.

When I asked "Is this a sign that I'm doing something good for myself?" I actually meant detecting the ammonia, is that a sign that I'm doing something good for myself?

"The breakdown of protein...involves muscle workout or people with conditions in which there is excessive muscle protein waste." ~ is this something that my body will eventually adjust too and go away??

[mcsblues]

Keto sticks/strips only measure ketones not glucose (and from memory only one of the 3 kinds of ketones is detected).

As for whether you are doing good things for yourself I would say so! - I quite obviously haven't worked out hard enough!;)

[Missy]

lol...well get to it then! lol :D ~ you have NO excuse...lol...IF I AM ~ YOU CAN! :eek: ;)

...and MY stripes measure TWO things...one color swatch for ketone's and one color swatch of glucose....lol I don't know WHY I'm doing it on occasion...other then it gives me SOMETHING to do... then! lol :rolleyes:

I also have some PH stripes too! :D But, I leave that for another thread one day!! lol