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Do Raspberry Ketones Really Work?
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It seems that just when you think you know everything about losing weight another concept comes up. Several years ago, the concept of raspberry ketones became popular and there were many people who swore by them. But what exactly are they and do they really work?
What Are Raspberry Ketones?
The first thing you are going to be surprised at is that while raspberry ketones are what gives raspberries their strong aroma, getting enough of the substance to create a supplement is cost prohibitive. It would take 90 pounds of raspberries in order to make enough for one dose of ketones. Raspberry ketones are found in other fruits such as kiwi, cranberries, and blackberries. But the supplement is still made from synthetically created raspberry ketones.
How Do Raspberry Ketones Help You Lose Weight?
The synthetic version of raspberry ketones was made to mimic capsaicin, which you can find in chili peppers, and synephrine, which is a stimulant. When you put these two molecules together, they were found to increase metabolism so the creators believed that putting the synthetic versions together would also help to boost the metabolism.
Raspberry ketones were tested on rats, the results showed that lipolysis (breaking down fat) was increased and the actual fat cells let go of a hormone called adiponectin that regulated the levels of blood sugar and kept the metabolism regulated.
People who are already thin have much more adiponectin that those who are overweight. This hormone also increases as people lower their weight. When you have low amounts of adiponectin you are more at risk for fatty liver, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart problems.
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The Results of Raspberry Ketones in Clinical Trials
There have been many studies to determine the benefits of raspberry ketones in weight loss. Here are the results:
2005 – A study was conducted where mice were given a diet that was high in fat. They were given raspberry ketones and it was confirmed that the ketones kept the liver from gaining any weight as well as surrounding organs from gaining visceral fat.
2008 – A study that had nothing to do with weight loss did show that raspberry ketones, when applied right on a person’s skin were more elastic and they had an increase of hair growth after a period of five months.
2010 – This study proved that the raspberry ketones were able to increase the amount of fat molecules, or lipids, that was broken down inside the fat cells. Another result of the study showed that the ketones encouraged the fat cells to produce more of the adiponectin which increased metabolism.
2016 – The Experimental Biology meeting discovered that after feeding mice a high-fat diet they did not gain as much weight when they were also given an ellagic acid and the raspberry ketones. The ketones also helped maintain the health of the mice’s liver.
2017 – A study in Denmark discovered that raspberry ketones might not really lower body fat levels. The study, which was documented in the Food & Function journal, showed that the mice who were fed a diet that was high in fat along with raspberry ketones put on less weight than those who did not take raspberry ketones. The problem with this study was that the mice who took the ketones ate much less food than those in the other group. The amount of weight that they lost was the same as if they followed a low-calorie diet.
Are Raspberry Ketones Effective in Losing Weight?
The problem with the clinical studies is that all of them were tested on mice and almost none of them were tested on humans. There was one study that was conducted in 2013. The clinical trial was tested on 70 women who were overweight but otherwise healthy. They were given a supplement that was made up mostly of raspberry ketones but also included capsaicin, ginger, caffeine, citrus aurantium, and garlic.
The group was put on a low-calorie diet along with an exercise program. They had 45 women finish the study eight weeks later with the results being in body weight. The rest of the women were given a placebo but they ended up having a lower percentage of weight loss.
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There is not much confirmation as to whether raspberry ketones can contribute to weight loss because not enough studies have been performed on humans. In addition, the amount of raspberry ketones that would have to be taken to be effective is at a much higher level than was used in studies involving mice. It is not deemed to be safe to take that high of a level of raspberry ketones without some type of side effects. The best way to lose weight continues to be eating less and exercising more.
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