Over the past year or so you couldn’t fail to notice the sheer number of supplements all claiming to contain this new “miracle’ weight loss ingredient that will help you burn fat in no time.
This ingredient is Raspberry Ketones and following its appearance on the Dr Oz Show in February 2012 its rise in popularity has been impossible to contain.
What are Raspberry Ketones?
Raspberry Ketones are a compound found within red raspberries that has in the past been used in cosmetics to give products a nice aroma.
Nowadays it is better known for its ability to burn excess fat.
What was said on the Dr Oz show?
During the show Lisa Lynn, a weight loss expert and personal trainer who can name Martha Stewart as one of her previous clients stated that Raspberry Ketones were “very healthy” with “no side effects”. She also stated that this compound could ensure your body could “burn fat easier”.
Are Raspberry Ketones proven?
Scientists have already proven how effective similar compounds like Capsaicin and Synephrine increased lipolytic activity, meaning it could help breakdown fats.
This led to scientists conducting experiments on rats, with mice fed a high fat diet along with Raspberry Ketone for a period of 10 weeks.
After the 10 weeks the scientists observed that the fat in the liver and visceral adipose (abdominal fat) tissues of mice had decreased.
The scientists concluded that the Raspberry Ketones would boost the production of a protein hormone known as Adiponectin (GBP-28) that helps to control many of the bodies metabolic processes.
Farrah Abraham controversy
You may know Farrah Abraham from her time on MTV’s Teen Mom, or from her recent “sex tape”. However she is also now the face of a Raspberry Ketone supplement, who see her as someone can “look up to”.
Now although Farrah is certainly slim she is certainly not someone you would expect to need to use a diet supplement.
No doubt following her recent 15 minutes of fame, Raspberry Tones are looking to cash in while her name is still popular.
Are Raspberry Ketones safe?
Although the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) does not approve dietary supplements they have listed Raspberry Ketones as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) since 1965.
Basically stating that it is a natural product that is not expected to cause any harm.
Are they a weight loss miracle as claimed?
Although the studies that have been undertaken seem to show the weight loss benefits of Raspberry Ketones, what many people have yet to realise is that most of these studies have involved rodents or test tubes.
At the present time there have been no serious research on the affect of Raspberry Ketones on humans.
Stephen Anton, an assistant professor of aging and geriatric research at the University of Florida in Gainesville has said how some of the hype surrounding Raspberry Ketones may be justified but he also would not call them a “miracle’ either.
Even during her appearance on the Dr Oz Show, Lisa Lynn stated that although the compound could enable weight to be lost, once the use of the supplement was halted the weight was likely to return.
As always if you want to lose the weight and actually keep it off then lifestyle changes are in order. A healthy diet should be eaten and regular exercise should be undertaken.
How to choose the best Raspberry Ketone supplement?
If you wish to buy a Raspberry Ketone supplement and want to avoid buying an ineffective or potentially dangerous product then the following tips could help:
#1 – Avoid buying supplements manufactured in China
Unfortunately there have been numerous studies that have shown that many supplements manufactured in China contain extra chemicals that may prove to be dangerous.
Often the only purpose of these extra chemicals is to lower the manufacturing costs and add nothing to the quality of the final product.
#2 – Is the supplement certified?
One of the ways to check if a supplement is safe is to make sure it is certified. Although they are normally more expensive why would you want to risk your health?
#3 – Avoid Ephedrine at all costs
Ephedrine has been banned by many countries due to its side effects yet there are still some products with this ingredient present.
#4 – Avoid unrealistic claims
If you are searching online and come across a diet product making unrealistic claims of 40lb weight losses in just a fortnight then you should stay well clear of them.
Not only are these losses unrealistic but also dangerous, for long term weight loss you should aim to lose around 2lbs a week.
References
Morimoto, Chie; Satoh, Yurie; Hara, Mariko; Inoue, Shintaro; Tsujita, Takahiro; Okuda, Hiromichi (2005). “Anti-obese action of raspberry ketone”. Life Sciences 77 (2): 194–204.
^ Park, Kyoung (2010). “Raspberry Ketone Increases Both Lipolysis and Fatty Acid Oxidation in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes”. Planta Medica 76 (15): 1654–8.
