Monitoring autophagy remains a challenge even in a medical context, let alone at home.
Accessible indirect monitoring methods: Ketone tests: urinary strips (ketone strips) — cheap, available in pharmacies, detects acetoacetate, respiratory ketone meter (Ketonix, BIOSENSE) — more precisely, detects acetone, ketones = proxy for the metabolic phase in which autophagy is active (not equivalent to direct autophagy), optimal level of ketones indicating active autophagy: 0.5—3.0 mmol/L (nutritional ketoa).
Blood markers available in laboratories: LC3-II: direct marker of autophagosomes, increases in active autophagy, p62/sqstm1: adapter protein that decreases when autophagy works well, beclin-1: autophagy regulatory protein. Limitations of blood tests: expensive, not routine in Romania, high variability — a spot test does not reflect chronic autophagy.
Practical conclusion: don't focus on measuring autophagy — focus on practices that stimulate it (fasting, exercise, sleep, coffee) and the benefits will manifest in the long run regardless of the possibility of quantifying it.
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