Introduction
Everyone wants to lose a few pounds now and again. Even if we try our best with a good diet and exercise (or not), it’s hard when tacos exist. But regardless, we all sometimes need that extra helping hand.
There are many different weight-loss tools out there on the market, from waist trainers to diet pills, protein shakes and diet plans. Which is great and means there are tons of ways to help you shift the pounds! What we want is the most effective, efficient and healthy way to lose weight. Over the years there have been many unhealthy and ineffective products to help you lose weight. But thankfully these days the health industry is so full of additional supplements that complement your current health plan/workout program for that much needed extra kick.
In this article, we’ll be talking about one of the biggest up and coming supplement trends that is popping up everywhere – raspberry ketone supplements. What’s all the rage about? Well, raspberry ketones are a supplement which apparently melts away fat and prevents weight gain. When we first heard of raspberry ketones, it made us think about the ketosis diet, and we thought maybe they work in a similar way. So sit tight and read the rest of the article and it will all become clear.
Let’s face it, we’ve all faced times where we needed to squeeze into an LBD or a suit in only a few weeks. So we’ve been looking at raspberry ketones to find out what they are and how they can aid weight-loss.
As with any diet trend or supplement fad, we’re always tempted by the promise of a quick and easy way to lose weight – but how do we know it actually works?
Table of Contents
What Are They?
When looking at which supplements will best aid your lifestyle, it can be really tricky and confusing as there’s so much jargon and it’s hard to take the companies that sell these products at face value.
There are lots of buzzwords out there these days, from superfoods to super diet, etc. If you’re not an expert in the field, it can take way too much time trying to decipher what would help your weight-loss efforts. And let’s face it, it’s already a struggle to reach the gym before work, so we don’t need a reading list on top of this. So we thought we’d give you the easy, quick fact run down on what raspberry ketones are all about.
The Facts
We’ve pulled together a list describing what raspberry ketones are and what they can do.
Raspberry ketones:
- Are natural chemicals
- Are the same chemicals which give raspberries their fruity aroma
- Can also be found to add flavor or fragrance in other foods and cosmetics
- A weight-loss supplement
- Melt away fat
- Prevent further weight gain
- Can increase hair growth when applied to the skin in a cream
Now we hear what you’re saying ‘We know what raspberries are, but what are ketones?’
You’ve probably heard of ketones before, and there’s a reason for this. Ketones are really important to people with diabetes, but if you aren’t familiar with diabetes you probably don’t have a clue what we’re talking about.
Ketones are an acid, well, a type of acid, that your body breaks down if there’s not enough carbohydrates found in your body to burn for energy. Therefore, if you don’t have any carbohydrates to burn into fuel, your body will look for something else to create energy from. What your body will then turn to – is fat. Ketones are made inside your body from your liver when breaking down fat. When it comes to those with diabetes, this process of burning fat for fuel is dangerous as it usually occurs due to a lack of insulin. But for those wanting to burn fat, the formation of ketones is a positive thing!
Where Do They Come From
Raspberry ketones are made from the same natural chemicals which you will find in a raspberry. The very same chemicals produce the delicious scent of raspberry. You’ll find raspberry ketone’s scent in many products on the market today from candles to soap and candy!
Fun fact: Believe it or not, raspberry ketone is actually found in many berries and not just raspberries including blackberries and cranberries.
Why They Work as a Weight-Loss Remedy
Think about it back in the day of our ancestors, who lived in caves and hunted.
They would often have to undergo long periods without food. Essentially what we’re trying to say is that originally humans would have to deal without food for a long period of time, and they achieved this through using their own fat stores for energy instead of carbohydrates. This is what ketones do to your body, they make your body eat its fat stores, this is how you end up losing weight.
To really understand how raspberry ketones work as a weight-loss remedy, we have to bring science into play. The molecules found inside a raspberry ketone are similar to those in capsaicin – this is what makes a chili pepper hot. And if you didn’t already know, capsaicin promotes weight-loss.
How Do They Work
What the Studies Have Shown
- Mice Studies: When tested on mice back in 2015 the study showed that mice fed a high-fat diet were less likely to gain weight in the liver, around their organs or belly when also given raspberry ketones.
- Human studies: One study found that people who took 200mg of raspberry ketones mixed with 1200mg of Vitamin C for 4 weeks lost significant amounts of weight and body fat.
Another study found that 70 obese women lost weight over an 8-week program thanks to a mix of ginger, Citrus Aurantium, raspberry ketone, caffeine, capsaicin, and garlic. This program was also undertaken alongside a working regime and a calorie restricted diet. There was also a placebo group in this study who did also lose weight but not as much as those taking the supplement combo.
Recap
Unfortunately, there have only been a handful of preliminary studies which have looked at raspberry ketones as a weird loss hand, and none of them were done on humans. The only study with humans included Vitamin C; therefore, the results aren’t very concrete, so it’s hard to say that raspberry ketones 100% work.
How to take them: Experts recommend that getting the most effective weight-loss response from raspberry ketones is to take between 1-200mg twice a day, with your breakfast and your lunch.
Side Effects
Because not enough studies have been done – especially on humans – the side effects of taking raspberry ketones regularly are pretty unknown.
When raspberry ketones are added to food and cosmetics, they are usually considered safe. This safe categorization of raspberry ketones is even recognized by The U.S Food and Drug Administration. However, the long term effects of raspberry ketones in supplements have not been fully examined yet. Although one common theme in most people who’ve taken these supplements is that they end up giving you a sense of jittery-ness, increased blood pressure, and a rapid heartbeat. It is important to stress there is no official scientific evidence to back these side effects. There also isn’t a lot of evidence to prove these side effects won’t occur either. We would advise you speak to your doctor if you’re thinking of taking these supplements as they will be able to monitor any changes.
Important Note
We would not recommend this product for those with diabetes, unfortunately, as due to the nature of raspberry ketones they can affect your blood sugar fluctuations. Also, those with high blood pressure or heart issues shouldn’t take these as the norepinephrine found in the supplements can have a detrimental effect on them even more.
What the Experts Say
Due to the lack of studies which outline the true factual benefits of raspberry ketones, you’re probably better off inspecting your diet. For instance, you could try looking into diet likes Keto or Paleo and make sure you’re getting the same kind of natural chemicals from your food as opposed to supplements.
What We Think
We know these are the words that no one wants to hear, but unfortunately, there’s no quick fix when it comes to losing weight properly. We know it may seem weird that such a popular and well talked about product doesn’t have any concrete studies to justify its use. But that’s the problem with the fad diet industry – it plays on people’s desperation to lose weight and as a consequence it quickly becomes popular. That’s why we think that losing weight in a sustainable way will give you all the power and energy you need to win at adult life. This means you should focus on your diet and lifestyle more than taking a magic pill. As the old saying goes: ‘abs are made in the kitchen,’ and unfortunately, there’s no room in our pantry for raspberry ketones.
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