Browsing the internet, you may have ever come across an advertisement for magical weight loss pills called raspberry ketone . After the craze that began in the United States after they were touted as ” The bottled fat burning miracle ” (vitamin supplement stores were out of stock before they could restock the shelves), this supplement that promised to improve even its counterpart Garcinia Cambogia arrived to Europe and, with it, the doubts it raises: Does it really work for weight loss? Is it harmful? We answer this and other questions in this article.
What is raspberry ketone?
This supplement has other trade names, such as “red raspberry ketone”, “European red raspberry” and the more scientific “rubusidaeus” and “rubus strigosus”. In any case, the active ingredient is always the same. Raspberry ketone is just one of the many components found in raspberries that give them that characteristic smell. Like all things that come from fruits and vegetables, raspberries contain many substances that are good for your health (such as vitamin C, antioxidants and beta carotene).
Raspberry ketone also looks similar to synephrine and capsicum, two ingredients that have been used extensively over the years in weight loss supplements. This resemblance was the reason why the scientists considered that ketones could also constitute a fat burner in and of itself .
Raspberry Ketone in Weight Loss
Between 2005 and 2017 there have been several studies to investigate the effectiveness of raspberry ketone in weight loss. These studies demonstrated the following effects:
- Reduction of body weight and mass
- Inhibition of fat absorption
- Improved fat burning
- Reduced appetite
- Combined with norepinephrine, it increases fat loss by 5% and stimulates metabolism.
In light of these studies, it seems that the general hysteria surrounding raspberry ketone had its reason for being. The only problem is that all these studies were done in laboratory guinea pigs and mice. There are no scientific studies in people , so it is impossible to know for sure what its effects are in humans.
Possible side effects of raspberry ketone
In one of the studies done on mice, raspberry ketone was shown to increase triglycerides (that is, cholesterol) levels. Just as we cannot know if the positive effects of ketone would work the same in humans as in animals, we cannot say so about the negative effects. But it is worth taking this into account if you decide to take this supplement and have a heart condition. Also, as raspberry ketone appears to have a strong chemical resemblance to synephrine, and synephrine is known to affect cardiovascular disease and blood pressure , it would be advisable to consume it in its lowest doses.
Does Raspberry Ketone Really Work?
As already mentioned, the research on the effects of raspberry ketone on weight loss is still in its infancy. Therefore, it is impossible to know for sure if it helps people lose weight or not, since most of the studies have been done in mice. And while it may be a good starting point, we cannot accept any miracle weight loss measure that works in laboratory rats because our bodies and hormonal systems are much more complicated than those of mice. We will have to wait until we have a study done in real life on human persons for at least a few months to be able to judge whether it is effective or not.
However, as it has not been shown to be harmful to health, it will not hurt to try it either. If you do, keep in mind that you will need (as with any supplement) a minimum of 6 months to start seeing results . And, above all, do not forget the true secret to lose weight effectively: a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. This has been shown to work in humans.
