With all of the different supplements on the market today, it can be hard to know exactly which ones are beneficial, and which ones are just bogus.
There’s a lot of fluff out there on the internet regarding keto – expedited weight loss pills, fast acting ketosis drinks, and all-purpose ‘keto shakes’. A lot of them tout pretty disingenous results, so it’s important to do your research when deciding on which ones are really worth adding into your keto diet.
Fortunately, raspberry ketones are tried and true supplements that have been tested and researched for decades. While there’s no get-fit-quick supplement for everyone, the benefits that come from raspberry ketones are pretty astounding.
In this article I’ll be doing a deep dive on the benefits and drawbacks, and will review a few types of raspberry ketones that I’ve personally tried.
What Are Raspberry Ketones
Raspberry ketones are naturally occurring substances that are known for giving raspberries they’re sweet smelling scent.
The extract of these ketones have actually been around for years, used as both a flavor enhancer for food, and a smell enhancer for cosmetic products.
The extraction of these ketones requires a lot of work, and a lot of raspberries. It’s estimated that it takes about a kilogram of raspberries (2 pounds) to go through a hydration process to get the extract needed to make 1.4 milligrams of raspberry ketones. But the benefits received from them are definitely worth the effort.
In many diets including the ketogenic diet, raspberry ketones are used for their weight loss properties, as they have similar chemical structures to other weight loss-promoting substances like synephrine or capsaicin.
Raspberry ketones can contribute to weight loss indirectly in a lot of ways we’ll get into later in this article, but they also have some direct effects as well.
Raspberry ketones are known to cause the fat within cells to be broken down more effectively, which essentially boosts our metabolism and helps the body burn fat more quickly. When used in conjunction with the keto diet, these can really help speed up your weight loss process and help you break through those annoying plateaus.
Some research also indicates that raspberry ketones can have an effect on the production of adiponectin, which is a hormone that contributes to regulating metabolism and hunger within the body.
Next, we’ll explore some of the added benefits that raspberry benefits come with, and will get into some of my personal favorite forms of the extract that are cheap, and convenient to add into your keto diet.
Benefits of Raspberry Ketones
- Increased fat breakdown
The primary benefit people seek out from raspberry ketones is that they are claimed to cause the fat within our cells to be broken down at a much more effective rate. This is great for anyone trying to lose weight, and particularly keto dieters because it helps the body burn fat faster.
In recent test tube studies of raspberry ketones’ effect on mice, it was determined that this increased break down of fats was largely due to the fact that raspberry ketones help to make the cells more susceptible to the natural fat-burning hormone norepinephrine.
When supplementing with raspberry ketones, levels of norepinephrine rose significantly, resulting in a more efficient fat utilization.
- Increased release of the hormone adiponectin
That same study also found that by supplementing mouse diets with raspberry ketones, there was an increase in the release of the hormone known as adiponectin, which is released by our fat cells and can play a role in both blood sugar regulation as well as hunger control.
Because of these two hormones being released, there’s a lot of evidence supporting the claim that raspberry ketones can help contribute to weight loss effectively by controlling hunger sensations and improving the way that our bodies process fat.
- May lower blood sugar levels
Raspberry ketones have bene observed to lower blood sugar levels. This can be either a benefit or a downside depending on the person, but for keto dieters, minimizing blood glucose levels is generally a goal alongside maintaining ketone levels of the blood.
One thing to look out for with decreased blood sugar levels is how it might interact with other body conditions like diabetes, hypoglycemia, and any potentially dangerous interactions with prescription medications.
If you think you may experience adverse effects from lowered blood sugar levels, you should consult with a doctor before fully integrating raspberry ketones into your diet plan.
- May reduce inflammation in the liver
While this doesn’t seem like a huge benefit for those trying to lose weight via ketosis at first, it actually is a pretty big deal.
One of the most important facets of maintaining a healthy state of ketosis is avoiding unnecessary inflammation in the body, especially the liver. The liver is an essential part of the body because it contributes to fat processing and breakdown, so in order to maintain ketosis, limiting inflammation of the liver is key.
A 2012 study found that raspberry ketones protected the liver against dangerous fat build up when test subjects were consuming a high fat, low carb diet.
- Improves skin elasticity
One added bonus of raspberry ketones outside of the keto diet is an observed improvement in skin elasticity.
A recent study out of Japan noted that that when 0.01 percent raspberry ketone extract is applied topically to skin on the face, it resulted in an increased cheek skin elasticity at approximately two weeks after application.
While more research needs to be done, this could be a potential new avenue for reducing wrinkles and improving collagen production on the surface of the skin.
Best Raspberry Ketones for 2019
I’m putting VitaBalance at number one because this company has some of the highest quality products at the most affordable prices, not only with their raspberry ketone supplements, but coconut oil, MCT, and garicnia cambogia supplements too.
Their Raspberry Ketones Plus product is one of my favorites because it’s extremely potent and packed with a ton of additional nutrients that can really kickstart your metabolism.
On top of extract of raspberry ketones, it also comes with African mango extract, which is high in natural acids that stimulate metabolism, as well as apple cider vinegar, which is great for controlling hunger.
Tigers Eye Pure Raspberry Ketone Extract prides itself on being one of the most potent raspberry ketones on the market. With 1000 mg per serving (2 capsules) at a high strength concentration, this formula contends to offer the most bang for your buck in terms of desired curbed appetite and boosted fat burning.
As an all-natural chemical derived from red raspberries, the metabolic effects are completely safe, and can also lead to other benefits such as improved mood, boosts of energy, and mental clarity that’s often seen as a result of natural ketosis.
Tigereye Nutraceuticals Raspberry Ketone formula is Gluten Free & Vegetarian safe, and is made in a state of the art FDA registered & cGMP certified manufacturing facility in the USA.
At 180 capsules and a 90 day supply, aSquared aims to provide the best value available for long lasting and useful raspberry ketones.
What’s even better, is that they come with a 30 day money back guarantee if you are unsatisfied with the results, so you really have nothing to lose by trying these.
Because they’re a bulk purchase, they can be a little more expensive than other raspberry ketone brands, but that’s the only con I can really think of when comparing this to others on the market. And because of the refund guarantee, it’s not that bad of a downside altogether.
With no unnecessary fillers, binders, or potentially harmful preservatives or GMOs, it means that there’s also no unwanted side effects.
Peak Performance Nutrition makes their raspberry ketone supplement in a liquid extract form and provides it in a small amber glass vial, which makes it very convenient for travel and taking the supplement on the go.
Peak Performance Nutrition prides itself on its developed formula that works to specifically cleanse and detox your body, all while curbing appetite and increasing fat burning for optimal weight loss results.
I tend to go for this brand of raspberry ketones because they also come with natural immune boosters, which can be great especially for a low-fruit diet like keto.
Like aSquared, they also offer a 30 day guarantee so there’s nothing to lose.
NatureWise Reaspberry Ketones Plus combines pure raspberry ketones with a blend of potent plant extracts such as acai, African mango seed, cayenne pepper, and green tea in order to naturally boost your body’s fat burning abilities and provide detoxing for a healthier and more efficient metabolism.
These natural ingredients are also designed to help curb your appetite in conjunction with increased fat burning in order to help people effectively lose excess body weight.
Additionally, these supplements are made right here in the United States and have passed all safety inspections and health codes, ensuring that you’re getting quality ingredients without any unwanted or unnecessary additives.
MaritzMayer Raspberry Ketone Lean is made from a unique formula that combines a variety of different concentrated ingredients that all work together to help promote weight loss and general health.
It provides some of the same nutrients as VitaBalance, along with some added green tea extract, acai, and resveratrol.
The green tea extract aids in promoting digestion and weight loss through improved fat processing and stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Green tea also contains an ingredient known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, which has been linked to speeding up the body’s metabolism and accelerating weight loss with minimal adverse side effects.
How Long Does it Take for Raspberry Ketones to Work?
There are a few steps you can take to optimize the effects of raspberry ketones as a part of your diet.
To maximize the effects of these supplements, it’s recommended that you take them before your first meal of the day, and roughly 15 to 30 minutes before you exercise.
While doses can range depending on the extract form, via liquid extract, pill, or powder, a general rule of thumb for a single dose is about 100 to 500mg per day.
Raspberry Ketones are a pretty fast acting type of supplement compared to a lot of others. This might be due to the fact that their chemical structure is also similar to that of caffeine. Raspberry ketones usually start to work as soon as they are able to enter the blood stream, which is generally around 15 to 30 minutes after being consumed.
You may notice an immediate increase in body temperature and suppression of appetite within this time frame, and these symptoms will likely subside over the next few hours depending on your level of hydration, electrolyte balance, and blood glucose levels that you start with.
Using these consistently alongside a healthy ketogenic diet and workout regime is the best way to see optimal results. You will usually see the first signs of reduction in stored body fat within the first 4 to 6 weeks of use.
Drawbacks of Raspberry Ketones
- Increased blood pressure
While raspberry ketones do resemble other weight loss related supplements like capsaicin, they also have a similar chemical resemblance to stimulates, which can indicate some stimulant-like side effects.
One particular side effect to keep an eye on is increased blood pressure. Most stimulants results in dramatic, short term increases in blood pressure levels, which can be dangerous for your cardiovascular health over the long term, and can be particularly dangerous in the short term for anyone with an already present heart condition.
If your doctor has warded you away from any and all stimulants due to an underlying medical condition or potential interactions with prescription drugs, you should be cautious when considering raspberry ketones.
- Can increase heartbeat to uncomfortable pace
Similarly with the symptoms of increased blood pressure, another big drawback from stimulant-like side effects is that of an increased heart rate.
While more research still needs to be done, there’s a chance that consuming too high of a dosage of raspberry ketones can lead to an increased heart rate at an uncomfortable pace. The resulting effects can be characterized by jitteriness, increased amounts of sweat, and heightened levels of anxiety.
- Not actually ketone bodies
The biggest drawback of raspberry ketones is the misinformation that often comes with their name.
These supplements are not actually ketone bodies that are naturally found in our blood stream, so taking them with the intention of improving ketone production will not really work.
These ketones are naturally found in fruit, primarily raspberries. While they do have a lot of benefits for the keto diet as we’ve seen above, they won’t actually help you get into ketosis faster.
The types of ketones that do help you get into ketosis faster are known as exogenous ketones. You can check out our recent guide on the benefits of exogenous ketones here.
Final Thoughts
Despite some of the drawbacks mentioned above, raspberry ketones are perfectly healthy and offer a lot of benefits that are worth integrating into your keto diet.
While they might not be a quick fix for all of your weight and keto related problems, they can definitely contribute to curbing appetite and boosting fat burning in conjunction with the keto diet.
Everyone’s bodies respond to supplements differently, but if raspberry ketones are right for you, then you’ll notice the effects in a big way