If you watch the Dr. Oz Show, you may have heard Dr. Oz call raspberry ketones  “The #1 miracle in a bottle to burn your fat.”  Since he made that bold statement, I’ve heard that raspberry ketone supplements are sold so fast that vitamin stores can’t keep them on the shelves!

I would like to review the raspberry ketone research — minus the hype that you have already heard about. Only in this way can you make an informed decision about whether raspberry ketone are right for you. My review will help you to find out if this product can help you lose weight.

Other names for this supplement include red raspberry ketone, and European red raspberry, as well as the more scientific names Rubus idaeus, Rubus strigosus and Framboise Rouge.

I am mentioning these names because if you just searched for “raspberry ketone” you may not find all of the information available. For the purpose of this review, I am going to stick to just calling it raspberry ketone.

What are raspberry ketones?

Red raspberry ketones are one of many compounds in raspberries and are what gives raspberries their unique smell.  Like all things that come from fruits and vegetables, raspberries contain a lot of substances that are healthy —including anthocyanins, vitamin C and beta carotene.  As such, raspberry ketones are also antioxidants.

Raspberry ketones also “look” similar to synephrine and capsicum — two ingredients that have been used in many weight loss supplements over the years such as the fat burner promoted by Jillian Michaels.  This similarity is likely why scientists considered raspberry ketones as a weight loss agent itself.

Weight loss supplements that contain raspberry ketones include QuickTrim — the Kim Kardashian supplement —and Apidexin.

The name Ketone is a chemistry term. It’s not important, but I just thought people might like to know where the word came from. On some websites they spell ketone as “keytone” but this is an incorrect spelling of the word.

Keep in mind as you read this review that raspberry ketones are not the same thing as ketones that are made when people go on low-carb diets or in people who are diabetic.  Those ketones are not the same as raspberry ketones. 

Raspberry ketones and weight loss

When Dr. Oz asked his fitness expert, Lisa Lynn on TV, how she found out about the weight loss properties of raspberry ketones, Lisa said “Research research research.” So, I looked up the research on raspberry ketones to find out if they can help you lose weight, help you to get a belly stomach fast. Here is what I discovered:

Study #1.  In a study published in 2005, called the Anti Obeisty Action of Raspberry Ketone, raspberry ketones were given to mice that were fed a high-fat diet for several weeks.  Mice were split into different groups, each getting the same calories but getting different amounts of raspberry ketones (either 0.5%, 1% or 2%).

The diets were about 40% fat in each group.  Researchers discovered that raspberry ketones — that made up between 1% and 2% of total calories — caused a reduction in body weight and fat buildup in the livers of mice after 10 weeks of use, compared to mice that only were fed a high-fat diet.

This is why Dr. Oz said raspberry ketones cause fat cells to shrink.

These researchers also quoted previous studies noting that raspberry ketones raised metabolic rates—in rats.  That’s interesting, but where’s the proof that raspberry ketones raise metabolism in people?

So this was just a mouse study —and a small study! Each group only had 6 mice. In addition, if we really want to be technical, in this study, all the mice were male.  What about female mice? Would raspberry ketones have the same weight loss effects in female mice —or more importantly —women?

Study #2.  In this study, published in 2010, researchers found that red raspberry ketones inhibited weight gain and improved fat burning in mice that were fed a high fat diet. Researchers also noted that raspberry ketones increase levels of adiponectin, a hormone made in fat cells.

The Wikipedia page on adiponectin goes into more detail, discussing how the hormone does a variety of things including improving the sensitivity of insulin— (good for diabetics).

Dr. Oz said that Adiponectin was the “hormone that tricks the body into thinking it’s thin.”When we put on weight, we reduce the ability of the adiponectin hormone to work. Sounds good, but red raspberries have only been shown to reduce adiponectin in mice.  What about people? Have raspberry ketone supplements been proven to help people lose weight by raising adiponectin levels?  Not yet.

So, what’s the evidence for raspberry ketones and weight loss? Only two mouse studies!  Remember, this is the product that Dr. Oz called “The #1 miracle in a bottle to burn your fat”  Really Dr. Oz? Would you recommend that your patients try a therapy that is only based on 2 mouse studies? I know you wouldn’t.

Personally I wouldn’t use raspberry ketones as a weight loss supplement, but they may be useful as an antioxidant. I am not convinced by those studies and I am going to wait until a research is conducted on how raspberry ketones affect people (and not mice).

I would use proven diets like the Fat Furance Diet or the Paleo Diet  to lose weight and fat (Read my reviews on these diet programs)

Let me know what was your experience with raspberry ketones.

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Jenny