Raspberry ketone – yay or nay?

Raspberry ketone is another new miracle weight loss product that’s really finding it’s place in today’s weight loss market.

Raspberry ketone is a natural compound found in raspberries that gives the berries their scent, until recently it was only used in the perfume and food industries. The science behind this fat loss claim is hinged on raspberry ketone causing the body to produce more adiponectone, a protein that helps to regulate metabolism and break down stored fat.

So, is it all it’s made out to be?

– To date, there have been no human studies showing that raspberry ketones burn fat or benefit weight loss

– There have been a few studies that have found the ingestion of raspberry ketone has been linked to fat loss… IN RATS!  These studies also used an incredibly high dose of raspberry ketone relative to the rats body weight (20g per kg of body weight). I appreciate that these are positive results but that doesn’t mean the same results will be found in humans.

– It’s not been approved by the FDA (US food and drug administration)

– No one has looked at the long term side effects…who knows what could happen if you keep taking them long term, what happens when you stop taking them etc etc

– There are concerns that since raspberry ketones are thought to stimulate the release of noradrenaline/norepinephrine, there’s a possibility that supplementation could be harmful to people with certain chronic conditions; hypertension, asthma, CHD etc as noradrenaline/norepinephrine is a type of nervous system chemical that is known to increase blood pressure.

– The lack of evidence makes it impossible to draw any conclusions. There is currently nothing to suggest that raspberry ketones will aid with weight loss or provide any health benefits. Any claims suggesting they will aid with weight loss are just marketing.