These recent years have recorded an increased number of products being marketed as weight loss pills to curb excessive weight. Having been approached by some folks regarding these pills, a major concern is if these weight loss pills actually do what they are proclaimed to do? One phenolic compound that is widely acclaimed to aid weight loss is the raspberry ketone. The use of Raspberry ketones for weight loss is presently gaining huge attention, especially in the western world. The key question is - are raspberry ketones good for weight loss?
So each time the topic of weight loss pills arises, the few questions I usually throw back at my inquirers are (a) can someone continue to consume unhealthy foods while awaiting a miracle from the weight loss pills? (b) do these slimming pills truly do what they are acclaimed to do without arousing any side effects? (c) what are the long term side effects of these weight loss pills? (d) what happens if someone stops taking the pills abruptly? (e) can the weight loss pills be effective even in the absence of healthy habits such as regular exercises and healthy eating?
Well, my take on this is that it is totally unfair for someone to do something at the expense of the other. Simply put, you can’t just depend on weight loss pills at the expense of basic healthy habits. No doubt it is a free world and you are free to do whatever you want to do. However, it might interest you to know that you cannot choose the consequences or the aftermath of your actions. The truth is that I’ve seen certain individuals on these weight loss pills slim down instantaneously within a short period of time only for them to gain more weight within few months of post-consumption of these pills. Well, it is totally up to you to decide if these weight loss pills really worth your penny.
Although raspberry ketones are considered safe for consumption, yet their short or long-term effects on your overall health is still unclear. Aromatic raspberry ketones (4-(4-hydroxyphenyl) butan-2-one; RK) are found in red raspberry, which is one of the oldest fruits in existence. Just like its close berry relatives (blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, strawberry), raspberry is an excellent source of polyphenols as well as minerals and vitamins. Raspberry ketones chemicals are believed to aid weight loss because of their similar structures to that of synephrine and capsaicin compounds. These compounds are known to display anti-obese actions and alter lipid metabolism. Raspberry ketones are mostly biosynthesized from coumaroyl-coA because the natural ones are quite few and expensive to come by.
Some studies have been carried out to ascertain the impact of raspberry ketones on overweight however, the concern is that these studies are not backed up by any human research for example;
(a) Morimotoa et al., (2005) carried out an experiment to ascertain if raspberry ketones can prevent obesity and activate lipid metabolism in rodents. The results showed that raspberry ketones prevent and improve obesity as well as the fatty liver in the tested animals. These effects are as a result of raspberry ketones ability to alter the lipid metabolism and increase the norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in white adipocytes.
(b) Sekizuka et al., (2014) investigated the effect of oral administration of raspberry ketone on the pharmacokinetics of midazolam (CYP3A substrate) in rats. Raspberry ketone tablets were given at a dose of 50 mg/kg for every 12 hours for a duration of 7 days while 10 mg/kg midazolam was administered orally at 24 hours after the final treatment. St. John’s wort was administered as a positive control. The results showed that the oral clearance of midazolam in the St. John’s wort-treated group increased to 161% of that observed in the control group. However, there was no significant difference between the raspberry ketone-treated and control groups.
Being that raspberry ketone is in use for inhibiting the accumulation of body fat, the concern here is that there is no reliable scientific proof to support its efficacy and long-term safety in tackling overweight. The past studies on raspberry ketone have only been carried out in vitro using test tubes. Furthermore, it is worthy to note that the concentrations of raspberry ketones used in the human body studies cannot be the same with the studies carried out outside the body on single cells. Besides, there is no scientific evidence highlighting its potential side effects.
Although raspberry ketones are considered safe for consumption, yet it's short or long-term impacts on your overall health is still unclear. As previously mentioned, you cannot do something at the expense of the other. In other words, you cannot just depend on your miracle weight loss pills without putting into considerations the long-term side effects. Again, you cannot just continue to adopt ugly health styles such as; lack of exercise, consumption of unbalanced diet, intake of high carb food, high sugary/junk food and then expect the unimaginable miracle from weight-loss supplements. The fact that there are no scientific studies to support the use and dosage of raspberry ketones, its consumption is still questionable.
Other Raspberry ketones Benefits
Raspberry ketone is aromatic in nature thus can be used as a food additive for boosting food flavour. It is also used for industrial purposes for the production of soap, perfumes, body creams and body scents.
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DISCLAIMER
This post is for enlightenment purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for professional diagnosis and treatments. Remember to always consult your healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions or for counseling, guidance and treatment about a specific medical condition.
REFERENCES
1] Khazaal et al., (2015), Effect of Raspberry Ketones and L-carnitine on Oxidative Stress and Body Weight in Iraqi Obese Patients, International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research, 31(2), No. 12, pp. 69-75.
2] Morimotoa et al., (2005), Anti-obese action of raspberry ketone, Life Sciences (77), pp. 194–204.
3] Sekizuka et al., (2014), Effect of a Dietary Supplement Containing Raspberry Ketone on Cytochrome P450 3A Activity, Pharmaceutica Analytica Acta, 5:6http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2153-2435.1000302
4] Images from pixabay
