Raspberry Ketone: Burn Fat and Lose Weight

Dr. Oz has called raspberry ketone supplements “the #1 miracle in a bottle to burn your fat.” That seems like a fantastic claim, especially coming from Dr. Oz.
So, what the heck are they and — more importantly — how can you use them to lose weight?

What are Raspberry Ketone Supplements?

Raspberry ketones (pronounced keytones) are a naturally occurring compound found in — you guessed it — raspberries. They have a pleasing fruity aroma and are FDA approved for use in foods and cosmetics. (see Are they safe? below.)

Raspberry ketone helps you lose weight by causing your body to burn more fat from your cells.

Raspberry ketone supplements are simply dietary supplement pills that contain high doses of raspberry keytones. You can find them at health food stores, some grocery stores, and online.

How to use them to burn fat and lose weight?

How can you burn fat with raspberry ketone supplements? That’s pretty easy. Just take the supplement with breakfast each morning and you’ll give your metabolism a boost and encourage your body to burn fat.

How much raspberry ketone should you take? Most supplements come in 100 mg dosage. According to Dr. Oz and Lisa Lynn, the weight loss expert that appeared on his show, you should start with 100 mg at breakfast. But Ms. Lynn suggested that if you don’t see the results you want, you can take another 100 mg with lunch.

As with anything, be sure to do your research and find a quality supplement from a reputable company.

It’s important that you use the supplements as only one part of your overall weight loss plan. They can definitely help you achieve your goals, but raspberry ketones won’t work unless you combine them with a complete fitness plan that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise!

How does raspberry ketone work to burn fat and promote weight loss?

Dr. Oz calls raspberry ketone “the number one fat burner in a bottle.”

It works by stimulating your fat cells to release fat into your blood stream to be burned as energy.
Basically, the fat in your body is energy that your body has decided to store. Depending on several physiological factors (like body weight, exercise, and diet), your body’s cells decide to either store extra energy as fat for later use, or release it from fat stores to be used as energy now. Raspberry ketones stimulate your body to release the fat and that shrinks your fat cells.

The result is that you increase your metabolism, burn your fat, and lose weight.

However, you should note that no human studies have been done on raspberry ketone, so the exact effects on people are not definitively known. Current theories are based on studies conducted on mice in Japan and Korea. Those studies found that raspberry ketones help to break up fat cells and stimulate the production of adiponectin, a hormone that helps your body regulate the processing of fats and sugars. Increased adiponectin levels tell your body to release stored fat and burn it as energy.

Studies have found adiponectin to be very similar to capsaicin, the main compound found in hot chili peppers. Capsaicin has been studied in humans and studies have shown that it does increase metabolism.

So, while scientific evidence seems to suggest that raspberry keytone can boost your metabolism and burn fat, no studies have been conducted to prove or disprove this theory. But we’re sure there will be some soon, so stay tuned for an update!

Supplements vs. Fresh Raspberries

Why take raspberry ketone supplements? Shouldn’t you just eat fresh raspberries instead? Yes and no.

There are many great health reasons to eat fresh raspberries, and you should add them to your diet. We are always in favor of eating healthy, whole foods, and that includes fresh raspberries.

But each kilogram (2.2 pounds) of raspberries has only has 1 – 4 mg of ketone. So to get the recommended 100 mg dose, you’d need to eat 25 – 100 kilograms (55 – 200 pounds) of raspberries a day. That’s just not possible. And even it were possible, all the calories you eat would guarantee that you gained weight instead of losing it! So supplements are the way to go.

Are Raspberry Ketone Supplements Safe?

Raspberry keytones are on the “Generally Recognized as Safe” list of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They have a nice fruity aroma — like raspberries, of course — and have been used for years as a flavoring additive in foods like soda and ice cream. They are also used as an aromatic ingredient in cosmetics.

However, the “Generally Recognized as Safe” designation by the F.D.A. only applies to the “intended use” of a substance. The dosage in rasberry ketone supplements is many times the normal intended use in foods and cosmetics. So it’s not clear if this use as a dietary supplement is truly considered safe by the F.D.A.

Also, the process that stimulates the metabolism increase and related fat burning also stimulates the release of a hormone called norepinephrine, which has been associated with increased blood pressure and heart rate. This could be a problem for some people with cardiovascular or other problems.

So, while raspberry ketone supplements have no known side effects, there have been no comprehensive studies to confirm it. As always, you should check with your doctor before adding any new supplements to your diet.

Miracle Obesity Pill?

While raspberry ketone is a very promising dietary supplement, you should not trick yourself into thinking that you can get skinny by simply taking a pill. The most important tools for losing weight are a healthy, well-proportioned diet and regular exercise. Raspberry ketone supplements can be a great addition to help you meet your weight loss goals, but they won’t work alone.