Raspberry Ketone

What is Raspberry Ketone?

Raspberry ketone is being used in diet supplements since the 1960s and is naturally found in some fruits including raspberries, cranberries and blackberries. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has categorized raspberry ketones as a "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) food additive. Many supplements facilitating weight loss contain raspberry ketone as a compound. The dietary administration of RK to male mice has been reported to prevent high-fat diet-induced elevation in body weight and to increase lipolysis in white adipocytes [1].

Usually about 1-4mg of pure raspberry ketone can be extracted per kg of raspberries. Extrapolated, one capsule of 340mg for example, available in our shop, contains the equivalent raspberry ketone concentration of an average 170 kilograms of raspberries.

How does Raspberry Ketone work?

Raspberry ketone is commonly known from the food industry as a natural flavor in aromatizing. In higher dosage of about 2% of total food intake, raspberry ketone has shown to have positive effects on lipid metabolism due to its increased norepinephrine-induced lipolysis affects after which was concluded that raspberry ketone prevents and improves obesity and fatty liver [2].

Effects of Raspberry Ketone

After about 5 weeks, raspberry ketone is able to significantly alter the lipid metabolism to facilitate the prevention of obesity. When seeking to lose weight and raspberry ketone is taken, in tests on rats, raspberry ketone was able to prevent the high-fat-diet-induced elevations in body weight and the weights of the liver and visceral adipose tissues. This leads to believe that raspberry ketone is an ideal weight-loss supplement to take along with a weight-loss program to aid a more rapid loss of weight.

Studies on Raspberry Ketone

Numerous studies have been carried out to determine the significance of raspberry ketone in the supplement world. One of these studies has indeed proven that raspberry ketone was able to beat its concurrent placebo by almost 200% in terms of efficacy in weight-loss [3].

Recommended Dosage / Usage Instructions

Recommendations vary, however most sources suggest 500mg per day.

Because the studies on raspberry ketone lasted on average only about 5-8 weeks, it is at this point not recommended to take longer than a maximum of 8-10 weeks with the primary goal of reducing weight.

Side-Effects of Raspberry Ketone

Some reported side-effects in conjunction with raspberry ketone include higher blood pressure and increased heart rate. In extreme cases some have reported to feel shaky and getting palpitations.

In such cases it is advised to stop administration and to consult a doctor for further dosage instructions.

Caution

Special attention needs to be taken by diabetes patients as high concentrations of raspberry ketone can lead to lowered blood sugar levels. A doctor should closely monitor its administration along with other diabetes medication.

References

[1] - http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+@rel+5471-51-2

[2] - Anti-obese action of raspberry ketone - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15862604?dopt=Abstract

[3] - Eight weeks of supplementation with a multi-ingredient weight loss product enhances body composition, reduces hip and waist girth, and increases energy levels in overweight men and women. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23601452?dopt=Abstract