14/01/2015
Raspberry ketone is a natural substance that gives red raspberries their powerful aroma.
This substance is also found in small amounts in blackberries, cranberries and kiwis.
It has a long history of use in cosmetics and has been added to soft drinks, ice cream and other processed foods as a flavorant.
Actually… most people are already eating small amounts of raspberry ketones, either from the fruits themselves or because of their popularity as a flavorant (3).
Only recently did they became popular as a weight loss supplement.
Even though the word “raspberry” may appeal to people, the supplement is actually NOT derived from raspberries.
Extracting raspberry ketones from raspberries is insanely expensive, because you need 90 pounds (41 kg) of raspberries to get the amount needed for a single dose!
In fact, a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of whole raspberries only contains 1-4 mg of raspberry ketones. That’s 0.0001-0.0004% of the total weight.
The raspberry ketones you find in supplements are synthetically made via an industrial process and are not natural (4, 5, 6).
Another reason for the appeal of this product is the word “ketone” – which associates it with low-carbohydrate diets, which force the body to burn fat and elevate blood levels of “ketones.”