Raspberry Ketone - The Miracle Fat Burner?

Raspberry ketone has recently exploded onto the scene as the latest “miracle fat burner,” ever since it appeared on The Dr. Oz Show.  I tend to be skeptical anytime I hear about any ‘miracle’ supplement, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t substances that can have miraculous effects on our bodies.  So what is raspberry ketone?  How does is it supposed to reduce body fat?  And does it work?  Let’s talk about it.

What is Raspberry Ketone?

Chemically speaking, raspberry ketone is a naturally occurring phenol; you may have heard the term ‘polyphenols’ used in a health food store from time to time.  Phenols are often found in berries, teas, olive oil, chocolate, coffee and various other fruits, vegetables, nut, herbs and spices.  They are commonly used as a selling point for many of these to consumers.  They have been found to have antioxidant properties in some studies, but when consumed in food, the vast majority of the antioxidant is not absorbed in the body.  In controlled studies, they have been found to have antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory effects, but when consumed by humans, these effects are not so clear.  Phenols have been shown to have cancer preventing properties, while also having the opposite in controlled studies.  When actually consumed by humans they do not appear to cause cancer, but they have been shown to prevent it.

Raspberry ketone is the key chemical that makes raspberries smell like raspberries.  It is used in perfumes and as a food additive for this reason.  It takes something like 50-200 pounds of raspberries to get you one 100mg dose of the substance, so clearly the stuff you buy for $20 or so per bottle is not made from raspberries.  The artificially produced raspberry ketone has been deemed safe by the FDA and there are no known side effects.  However, people with diabetes, heart conditions or other pre-existing health problems should consult their physician before taking this as a supplement.

How does Raspberry Ketone Reduce Body Fat?

Raspberry ketone appears to have a few different effects on the body that may reduce body fat.  Raspberry ketone has been shown to prevent increases in body weight by helping metabolize fats by increasing the breakdown of lipids within fat cells through norepinephrine.  This can increase thermogenesis, increasing body temperature resulting in increased fat burning.  It has also been shown to reduce the body’s production of pancreatic lipase.  This is a digestive enzyme needed to break down fats in our foods preventing the body from absorbing fats altogether.  Furthermore, raspberry ketone is believe to help control your bodies use of adiponectin, a protein hormone that in turn regulates various metabolic processes such as glucose regulation and fatty acid breakdown.  This should allow your body to breakdown the fat within the fat cells more efficiently; resulting increased fat burning (this is the effect discussed on The Dr. Oz Show).

Does Raspberry Ketone Work?

This is the million dollar question.  There is a high level of confidence that this is a healthy supplement with no side-effects, but should we spend the cash on it as a “miracle fat burner”?  The answer is unclear from a clinical standpoint because there are no clinical studies on humans that I can find.  But testimonies have come from far and wide saying that there are noticeable effects on body fat when the supplement is taken, along with a healthy diet and exercise.  For those of you looking to lazily lose your belly, simply by taking a new pill, this product probably isn’t for you.  But if you are already living a healthy lifestyle and don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions, I can’t think of any reason not to add this to your routine.  Many people swear by the stuff and that usually doesn’t happen for most “miracle fat burners.”  Most are shown to either be unhealthy for various reasons or they simply don’t work.  You can find the supplement for a very reasonable cost online and at local health food stores.  I’m buying some today and I will update this article soon with my personal results and thoughts.